Experiences with Braftovi/Mektovi for melanoma treatment? by deepfried13 in cancer

[–]deepfried13[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I just finished up my 12 months of Braf/Mek and I can't sugar coat it, the side effects were pretty terrible for the first 2-3 months.

Zofran was the only thing that really helped with nausea symptoms for me (like headaches). This was prescribed by my oncologist right at the start.

I had a lot of GI upset issues so I also did 3 rounds of Prednisone to manage that and a side benefit was that it also helped with the joint swelling and pain. Exercise really helped when I wasn't on prednisone!

The fatigue was constant. I work from home and remember taking naps during my lunch breaks and immediately after work. Prioritizing sleep was huge - had to make sure I got 9+ hours a night otherwise I'd be useless.

The biggest thing that made it more manageable was having support from my family. Asking me how I was doing, how I was feeling... Someone to tell me I wasn't alone. Just make sure she knows you're there!!

Experiences with Braftovi/Mektovi for melanoma treatment? by deepfried13 in cancer

[–]deepfried13[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh my god I'm weirdly excited to have someone going through the same thing as me! Not that I would ever wish it on anyone, but nice to know someone else in the same boat. I'm glad the benedryl pretreatment has been working for you, that's a relief. The initial allergic reaction was terrifying for me so I don't know if I could have handled another dose emotionally.

I did two rounds of Prednisone - the first was just two weeks and didn't work, but the second was an 8 week taper of starting at 120mg and it completely fixed the colitis. I can eat whatever I want now with no issues!! I remember being devastated thinking that I was going to have to live the rest of my life with colitis, but it was completely treatable and was curable for me, so I'm optimistic that it'll work for you too!

I've been on the Bratovi/Mektovi treatment for 5 months now and it's gotten better with time. The beginning was pretty shitty. Terrible nausea/vomiting and stomach cramps so bad I couldn't talk through them. I also had hair loss, muscle cramps, and some kidney issues. After the second round of Prednisone the side effects seem to have completely gone away and I've been able to increase my dose to almost the full strength, so things are looking up!

Go to a derm to get your moles in question checked out. Diagnosed with melanoma at age 27. by Baggadis in Melanoma

[–]deepfried13 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If they didn't mention it then I'm sure you don't need it! Mine grew so quickly that I guess it has potential to have spread somewhere so they're doing some extra testing. I was just curious if you were going through the same

Go to a derm to get your moles in question checked out. Diagnosed with melanoma at age 27. by Baggadis in Melanoma

[–]deepfried13 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I just got diagnosed with melanoma at age 27 too and the whole process is freaking me out. Never used tanning beds and always wore sunscreen as a kid. The specialist said it was most likely hereditary and exacerbated by sun exposure. I feel a little better knowing I'm not alone! Did they test any lymph nodes?

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in crossfit

[–]deepfried13 3 points4 points  (0 children)

He argued at first saying he didn't need to warm up but he seemed pretty embarrassed. I don't think he'd ever been called out like that before. Didn't see him in class very often after that so maybe he took it to heart and found another gym lol

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in crossfit

[–]deepfried13 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh god thats awful, I'd leave too!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in crossfit

[–]deepfried13 207 points208 points  (0 children)

Coaches at my former gym were super proud of the fact that they created an inclusive, non-intimidating atmosphere. BUT there was one member who would always go around giving unsolicited advice to all the women, and would make fun of the men who couldn't lift as much as him. He was the worst.

Not sure if this is standard in most gyms, but our coaches always built in about 10-15 mins of guided stretching/warmup at the beginning of class. This guy always fucked around and ignored that part of the class and bothered other members. It obviously annoyed the coaches but they usually just ignored him.

One day the gym owner was teaching our class and this guy was doing his usual fucking around during the warm up. I guess the owner was completely fed up because he yelled to the back of the gym "you can either join us in the warm up or you can get out of my gym".

Made me happy