Tag Archives: side effects

one flew over the red herring

Posted on August 5, 2017 by straightouttasotham

This is my third attempt in three weeks at writing a new blog post – hopefully not another false start. The first post, which I started on my last day in the hospital, was to be entitled “One Flew Over … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged cancer, clinical trial, hospitals, IL-2, illness, living with cancer, melanoma, side effects, stage 4 cancer, stage 4 melanoma | 14 Comments

the verdict

Posted on July 17, 2016 by straightouttasotham

Part I – Written in my journal Friday morning… 7/15/16 Today is huge. HUGE. I feel like I’m on my way to a courthouse to be sentenced, knowing that I haven’t done anything wrong but afraid that the jury is … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged BRAF, BRAF inhibitors, BRAFV600, cancer, cancer treatment, cobimetinib, cotellic, documentary, documentary film, filmmaking, fuck cancer, immunotherapy, ipilimumab, ipilimumab side effects, ipilimumab success, living with cancer, malignant melanoma, MEK inhibitors, melanoma, melanoma prognosis, melanoma progression, melanoma recurrence, melanoma treatment, metastatic melanoma, nivolumab, NYU, NYU Langone, PET scan, photosensitivity, side effects, skin cancer, stage 4 melanoma, stage four cancer, stage four melanoma, targeted therapy, treatment, tumors, vemurafenib, vemurafenib side effects, writing, zelboraf | 15 Comments

A Kick in the Asana

Posted on June 21, 2016 by straightouttasotham

Hey y’all. So, I’m super-duper excited… my first post is up on Cure Magazine’s website. Please share the following link if you’re so inclined!! A Kick in the Asana: How Cancer Made Me a Yoga Person Also, I super-duper promise … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged blogging, BRAF, BRAFV600, breathe n flow, cancer, child's pose, cobimetinib, community, cotellic, Cure Magazine, fuck cancer, immunotherapy, ipilimumab, ipilimumab side effects, ipilimumab success, journalism, malignant melanoma, melanoma, melanoma prognosis, melanoma progression, melanoma treatment, metastatic melanoma, namaste, nivolumab, side effects, skin cancer, stage 4 melanoma, stage four melanoma, targeted therapy, thyroid, treatment, tree pose, vemurafenib, vemurafenib side effects, writing, yoga, yoga and illness, yoga practice, yoga with cancer, zelboraf | 3 Comments

Sun In The Sky, You Know How I Feel

Posted on June 9, 2016 by straightouttasotham

Here’s the abridged version of what’s happened since my postcard. I was on the Vem/Cobi Combo for exactly three weeks. Since Cobimetinib (The MEK inhibitor) is a three week on, one week off med (like birth control), I was due … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged blogging, BRAF, BRAF inhibitors, BRAFV600, cancer, cobimetinib, cotellic, dabrafenib, fuck cancer, immunotherapy, ipilimumab, ipilimumab side effects, journalism, malignant melanoma, MEK inhibitors, melanoma, melanoma prognosis, melanoma progression, melanoma treatment, metastatic melanoma, nina simone, NYU Langone, photosensitivity, pura vida, side effects, skin cancer, stage 4 melanoma, stage four melanoma, suicide, sun protection, sunscreen, targeted therapy, thyroid, trametinib, treatment, TSH, vemurafenib, vemurafenib side effects, writing, writing career, zelboraf | 2 Comments

postcard from transylvania

Posted on May 19, 2016 by straightouttasotham

You know that scene in, like, every single vampire movie ever… the one where the undead’s skin catches a sliver of sunlight and spontaneously bursts into flames? Well, that kinda sorta happened to me. I was grateful for the fact … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged anaphylaxis, BRAF, BRAFV600, cancer, cobimetinib, cotellic, documentary, epipen, filmmaking, fuck cancer, malignant melanoma, melanoma, melanoma prognosis, melanoma progression, melanoma treatment, metastatic melanoma, NYU, NYU Langone, side effects, skin cancer, stage 4 melanoma, stage four melanoma, targeted therapy, treatment, vemurafenib, vemurafenib side effects, zelboraf | 8 Comments

goonies never say die

Posted on May 3, 2016 by straightouttasotham

One of the inevitable questions you are often asked when you are diagnosed with a historically terminal illness is ‘how often and in what capacity do you think about death?’ The question is usually worded more gingerly, or more awkwardly, … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged anaphylaxis, BRAFV600, cancer, cobimetinib, cotellic, death, fuck cancer, melanoma, melanoma prognosis, melanoma treatment, metastatic melanoma, NYU Langone, photosensitivity, side effects, spirituality, stage 4 melanoma, sun protection, targeted therapy, treatment, vemurafenib, vemurafenib side effects, zelboraf | 14 Comments

cyclone mel

Posted on April 27, 2016 by straightouttasotham

I’m just gonna cut to the chase and acknowledge that I spoke too soon. I don’t know who the radiologist at the local hospital is (actually I do, because I have a copy of her CT scan report) or what … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged BRAF, BRAF inhibitors, BRAFV600, cancer, cancer treatment, dabrafenib, documentary, documentary film, living with cancer, malignant melanoma, MEK inhibitors, melanoma, melanoma prognosis, melanoma recurrence, melanoma treatment, metastatic melanoma, side effects, targeted therapy, trametinib | 7 Comments