Still Growing

We met with Dr. Weber today and got the results from Friday's tests.  The MRI was fine, so it still has not metastasized to the brain.  The growths on the lungs have stayed the same & gotten slightly smaller, but they were pretty small anyway.  However, the ones on the liver that had shrunk about 15% have grown bigger than they were before.  One is 8.4 cm, another is 7.0 cm and a third is 4.0 cm.  In inches, that is 3.3, 2.75 and 1.5.  There is another drug he wants to start him on that will be ready Thursday.  If he gets any side effect at all, the doctor said to stop taking it and call him.  If that happens, he will have to inject chemo right into his liver.  He sees the doctor again in 2 weeks.  We hope this one works, what else can I say, other than we are doing fine.

Very Slow Progress

We tried to leave a few times, but Don got so tired in so little time, we had to stay.  For example, one of the first things he does is check the pressure in all the tires, after doing that he had to sit and rest.  After having to rest after every little chore he realized it would not be safe for him to be on the road with such a large vehicle.  On Monday, the 12th, he called the doctor's office.  They had him go in for a blood test, all his levels were good except the adrenal glands.  That should be between 20-60 and it was 4 even though his cortisol levels were OK.  His other problem is appetite, he has none having to force himself to eat.  Quite a change from a month ago when he was eating everything in sight because he was on prednisone.

We have been seeing an improvement in the last 4-5 days.  He is not so exhausted and his appetite is better.  Instead of taking 3 naps for 2-3 hours each every day, he's been taking one 1-2 hour nap.  Friday is his day for CT scans and Tuesday he sees the doctor.

Bruno and I are doing fine.



Getting a Drug Free Vacation

In my last post I mentioned that they were giving Don 10 days then were going to start another treatment.  Well during those 10 days he was on 2 very strong anti-biotics, prednisone, a pill to control blood sugar and one to reduce the stomach acids.  Well by now we all know how he reacts to medication, it really did a number on him, which got him discouraged, angry and depressed.  It got so it was very difficult for me to keep my own spirits up.  Don mentioned, and I agreed, he should get a couple of weeks off drugs.  He's been off everything for 5 days now, but still needs more time before they start pumping him with more.

 He had a doctor's appointment today.  The first thing he said was that he needed a vacation from the drugs, like 4 weeks.  So tomorrow he is going for an MRI of the brain and on the 27th he will be getting his CT scans so they can have a base line.  Then he will start a new medication, not a clinical trial.  That last drug was specifically for melanoma that has that BRAF mutation that I mentioned before, and after just 5 days, the tumors on his liver had shrunk 15%.  But again, it was part of a clinical trial and had to be given in a specific dose.  The one they are starting him on is also for the BRAF mutation but they are going to start him in small doses and progress as his body will allow.  Here's hoping it shrinks those nasty tumors.  Hopefully we will go on a 10-14 day trip to get a change of scenery.   I will keep you posted.