More Side Effects

Had to visit the doctor again yesterday.  Don has been extremely tired, sleeps at least 18 hours a day.  What really concerned me was that his breathing is becoming labored.  Knowing how fast melanoma travels, I could picture all of these new tumors in his lungs, especially since he had to skip the third infusion.  Since they want him to call for every little thing, he called on Wednesday.  He told them he was playing golf on Thursday, they told him to keep them posted.  On Friday he couldn't even get out of his own way, much less play golf so he called the hospital.  When the doctor heard he couldn't play golf he said "get him in here right away".  So we went in on Friday and had blood work done.  His rash is coming back but not severe.  This tiredness is another classic side effect since the drugs in the infusion sometimes effects the pituitary and/or thyroid gland.  We are now waiting for the results of the blood tests.  If these glands are being effected it would make him very tired and they can give him medication for it.  I was quite relieved.

 

I mentioned before that the drugs he gets don't kill the cancer, they boost the immune system so his body can kill the cancer.  What I don't believe I mentioned is that this combination of drugs is made especially for him.  They originally did many, many blood tests and some DNA testing to come up with the right combination for him.

 

The owner or founder of the restaurant "Outback" just donated $5 million to Moffitt Cancer Center for melanoma research.  You bet we'll be eating there more often.