Well I had a CTscan of my chest/abdomen a couple hours ago to see if I am hopefully a late responder to the Yervoy I finished on Dec 20th. Maybe hear word tomorrow or Monday. Not sure if this is still too early to tell, but it'll give some comparison to what was shown on the scan from Jan 9th. I've heard about it possibly taking up to 5 months to show results, not sure if from first dose or last dose, but probably varies from person to person.
Well I had a CTscan of my chest/abdomen a couple hours ago to see if I am hopefully a late responder to the Yervoy I finished on Dec 20th. Maybe hear word tomorrow or Monday. Not sure if this is still too early to tell, but it'll give some comparison to what was shown on the scan from Jan 9th. I've heard about it possibly taking up to 5 months to show results, not sure if from first dose or last dose, but probably varies from person to person. Physically I feel pretty good, no pains or anything abnormal, my 4-month itchy-throat cough has subsided and my slight sensation of paralysis in my left hand is pretty much gone too. Hopefully a good sign the SRS was effective. Mentally though, this last week has been the hardest since all this started. Although unlikely it will happen again with the SRS and temporary medication, the second seizure, as mild as it was, has made me a little paranoid, a bit worried or concerned, thinking "but what if it does happen again?" "what if I'm alone?" I'm sure these feelings are natural and will pass with time, peaks and valleys have always been a part of the territory dealing with this, I remind myself I’ve been through valleys before, and I made it though, and then enjoyed the peaks. I've had so many wonderful times during the course of all this. I'm sure most of this unsettling feeling is just from this “temporary state of uncertainty”, this waiting time where everything is in the air between scans and growth and treatment options.
At least there’s that word “temporary”. Implying that things can always get better, no matter how unlikely, as they have before. In the most perfect, replayed, manifested, thought about, prayed for, miracle of a story imaginable… my scans today would show that I am indeed a late responder, the tumors in my lungs are shrinking and therefore the ones in my brain may be too. They start me on another follow up round of Yervoy or maybe finish up with another something at the NIH. And things continue to shrink and disappear indefinitely. Oh how I wish that… not just for me, but for Brenda, my family and friends, doctors, nurses, and any people who have supported, encouraged, and helped me through these times. I want to make you proud.
Thanks for reading.
Staying focused and optimistic,
-Kevin
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