Done with 2 of my chemo pills!

I have been on Maintenance chemo since October 2013.  What's maintenance chemo?  Well, for me, with my specific leukemia, I take a variety of pills everyday, including the big three: mercaptapurine, methotrexate, and ATRA (tretenoin).  I also take a few other things, but those are to combat some of the side effects of the big three. 
Yesterday, I was told by one of my NPs that I could stop the methotrexate and mercap. I also will stop my ATRA pills on Sunday, which is awesome!  I am so happy to get my body back into shape. 
I say back into shape for a few reasons.  Its very hard to lose weight on these meds.  I have steadily gained weight during this past year, and now its almost over.  I've gone to a podiatrist to treat plantar fasciitis and overpronation due to rapid weight gain/loss and balance issues from being neutropenic so many times over the past 2 years.  I wake up nauseated every morning around 4 am.  Some days I am not hungry at all and other days I can't stop eating.  Oh, and the headaches are awful.   So, yes, I can't wait to get my body back.  I want my immune system and my blood to normalize.  I want my weight to normalize.  I want my muscles to come back full force (just in time for the apocalypse).


Its very exciting.


And in one week, I will be at the hospital getting yet another bone marrow biopsy.  If this is clean, I will be in survivorship officially!

Dealing with Weight Gain during Remission from APL while on ATRA/Tretenoin

When I was first diagnosed with cancer, I was immediately subjected to tons of antibiotics, medications, and chemotherapy.  I lost a lot of weight.  I traveled everywhere with Zofran, my new best friend.  I lost 28 pounds in five weeks.  I was expecting the weight loss, everyone I knew that suffered from cancer (of any type) would look so sickly and swimming in their skin at some point. 

 

Now, I’m in remission and undergoing maintenance therapy.  I take lots of pills daily for the first year of remission.  Ah, I just love that word: remission.  Well, I have packed on the pounds.  I gained back all I lost and an additional 30 lbs.  I weight 180 today.  I have weighed 180 (give or take 5-10 lbs) since November.  I started my maintenance therapy in October.  Yes, that last 20 lbs I gained happened in ONE MONTH! 

 

I am trying to be more active.  Sure, I am still fatigued.  I am tired all the damn time.  I get tired at the drop of a hat and then take a 2 hour nap like its nothing.  I wake around 5 pm and decide to take a shower and start my day.  And then there are moments like this, when I’m up at 4 am and can’t fall back asleep (and I wonder why?) 

 

My new favorite apps are Runkeeper and MyFitnessPal.  I have them on my phone and use them all the time.  I log my food in a diary that tracks my calories in MyFitnessPal.  Runkeeper tracks how far I walked (like a gps & pedometer combined) and calculates calories burned based on my distance, time, and weight.  I should be losing weight.  Should be…yet I’m not.  I’ve been on these since December, and I have noticed one trend:  as long as I’m active and not eating just junk food, I lose weight on my non-ATRA weeks.  ATRA is my main maintenance drug.  I take 8 pills each day every other week.  So, last week I was not taking ATRA.  I lost 5 lbs by Sunday.  This week is an ATRA week.  I am back at 180 as of yesterday.  Thank goodness today is Saturday.  ATRA is almost over.  Next week, the 5-10 lbs will drop and I will go through the process again. 

 

Is anyone else having taking meds and having problems losing weight?  I am constantly focusing on the weight gain, and I know I shouldn’t.  It’s hard, though.  It’s hard to look at myself in the mirror and be okay with how I look.  I am uncomfortable being this big.  I use to average 150 lbs.  In my best shape, I would be 135…and looking pretty good with my curves.  It depresses me.  I try, but then I also let food get the best of me.  It feels wonderful to taste food, and it is amazing to appreciate food and something as simple as flavor again.