At treatment today:
NP: (On why I'm sporting all sorts of strange symptoms lately) Sometimes, chemo will do that to you - it can really mess with your immune system.
Me: But I'm not in chemotherapy.
NP: (Pauses and smiles kindly)
Me: This is considered chemo, isn't it.
NP: Yeah, it is.
Me: Oh.
NP: It's gentler than traditional chemo, but it's definitely chemo.
Me: Oh.
I liked it so much better back when we just called it "treatment."
The Soliris is chemo?
Posted by: cat, galloping | April 08, 2008 at 08:25 PM
Evidently Soliris IS chemo. I guess it's just semantics at this point, but still. Ick.
Posted by: Day | April 08, 2008 at 09:21 PM
Who knew! It's ok to still just call it treatment. It *is* a treatment, right? :)
Posted by: Irish Girl | April 09, 2008 at 11:09 AM
No offense at all (really!), but your nurse is a bit ignorant on what your treatment is. I'd wager she doesn't even know what a monoclonal antibody is. Chemotherapy kills cells in your body - healthy and otherwise without discriminating. It is basically a poison that happens to do good (treat cancer). Soliris, blocks part of your immune system without attacking your body. Two very different things with very different things... Your treatment is just that - a treatment.
Posted by: Joan | April 09, 2008 at 02:16 PM
The NP is right: it's not an cystostatica killing cells, but as a monoclonal antibody Soliris is a Chemotherapy; have a look here:
http://tinyurl.com/yv5m8g
Posted by: Joern | May 07, 2008 at 02:57 AM