2nd ASCT - Day 117 - September 13 2012

I kept careful track of my fluids today by using Jani's counting bottle tops (I drink Nestle's Pure Life in the 500 ml bottles). In 24 hours, I drank 9 bottles of water or 4,500 ml. That's a lot of water, but I don't think much more than I drink on an average day. 

I am thirsty especially at night and most nights down 2 bottles of water.

My weight at the beginning of the 24 hours was 151 lbs and 149.8 lbs a the end - so, I am not retaining fluids.

My mouth is cotton dry and my sense of taste is extremely altered. I can taste really salty or really sweet things, but not much in between. I'm sure this is Zolinza (vorinostat) side effect. I've been chewing sugarless gum for the dry mouth. I'm trying to decide if I can live with such an altered sense of taste and I think I can - eating for taste has never really been one of the highlights for my life - I eat when I'm hungry and I often eat the wrong things unless I have the right things pre-prepared.

I'm going to keep up the counting bottle tops until my next blood draw on Tuesday 18 Sept 2012 to make sure I'm hydrated when the blood is analyzed to evaluate my increases in creatinine and BUN.

2nd ASCT - Day 117 - September 12 2012

I got my faxed copies of my LDH and Comprehensive Chem Panel results from 4 Sept 2012. My LDH is HIGH at 661 (norms 313-618), which I'm sure is not good, but probably goes with my increased M-Spike from 0.1 to 03 drawn the same day. The University of Colorado Hospital draws LDH with each Chem Panel, but I think I've only had this LDH drawn at St. Luke's MSTI, in Twin Falls, Idaho.

In addition, as I mentioned on 4 Sept 2012, my creatinine (a measure of kidney function) was slightly elevated at 1.09 (norms 0.52-1.04). My BUN (another kidney function test was normal and the ratio (BUN/Creatinine Ratio) of the two kidney function tests was normal - so, maybe not a concern).  My GFR was normal at 

Dr. Padavanija repeated my Chem Panel  on 7 Sept 2012...and my creatinine was even HIGHER at 1.26 (norms 0.52-1.04) and my BUN was HIGH at 20 (norms 7-17). --- GOOD GOOD for me! However, the ratio between BUN/Creatinine was okay and my GFR was okay at 46. Dr. Padavanija and I wondered if I was dehydrated at the time of the blood draw.

So, on 11 Sept 2012, I tried to arrive at the blood draw hydrated when a repeat Chem Panel revealed not much improvement in my creatinine at 1.23 (norms 0.52-1.04), BUN 26 (norms  7-17) and the BUN/Creatinine Ratio slightly elevated at 21 (norms 10-20). My GFR still okay at 47.

So, perhaps my new chemo pill, Zolinza (vorinostat) which I started on 4 Sept 2012, is having a negative effect on my kidneys, but doesn't explain the slightly high creatinine on 4 Sept 2012 because my blood was drawn prior to my 1st dose of Zolinza (vorinostat). I have taken 9 days of  the 14 day course of Zolinza (vorinostat) so far.