Eating has been one of our biggest struggles for Henry, just ahead of fatigue. Nothing sounds good, nothing tastes good and he just can’t eat very much. So a friend suggested that I get someone in Colorado to send some edible pot to us. We are a very straight and narrow family (read: old, old-fashioned boring),and Henry would never agree.
I asked his oncologist for help with this, he was happy to order the stimulant, encouraged Henry to takeout the next time we were in the office. Henry is hard headed, He figured that he could make himself eat enough to get by. Dr. C. ordered it anyway to have it unhand when Henry wanted it. It is a very expensive prescription. The pharmacy called before filling it to make sure we wanted to pay $250 for it. Henry said “Absolutely not!” I cajoled, complained and encouraged him to take it. Then while chatting with a good friend I mentioned the eating issue. She marched right next door to a lifelong friend of ours, who is a retired oncologist and the past head of the department where Henry is being treated. Dr. C. immediately called Henry, chatted him up and then gently suggested that he should try the appetite stimulant. He started the next morning! Thank you John! It has been a game changer. We have to use all avenues we can to get these guys well.
I looked up the prescribed drug — Dronabinol (Marinol) a man-made cannabis! How funny is that. It comes with a 6 day very low dose steroid (so it will not interfere with the Keytruda) and the combination has been amazing. Immediately he had more energy. But now 10 days later, he has been out to breakfast or lunch several days with friends, he even drove himself one day. I don’t know if it is the stimulant or the Keytruda working but whatever it is I am grateful! He feels better and, I think, that is great for his mental state which I believe effects his physical state.
We are going to master this bugger, one way or another. And man-made Mary Jane has been a big help.
So it only worked for a little while and in hind-sight maybe it was the steroid that was taken for a week as he began the Dronabinol. After a few weeks his appetite went away and we started another appetite stimulant, Megestrol Acetate. It has actually worked much better and he actually likes the taste of things now.