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One week followup after starting prednisone: good news, bad news
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One week followup after starting prednisone: good news, bad news

› Forums › General Melanoma Community › One week followup after starting prednisone: good news, bad news

  • Post
    • March 28, 2019 at 5:51 pm
    cjm22
    Participant

      My husband was taken off immunotherapy last week and put on 85mg of prednisone due to liver inflammation, hyperthyroidism and aplastic anemia (bone marrow suppression). He had follow up bloodwork done this week to check on things, and coincidentally also had another MRI of his brain.

      Good news: Blood work is improved after one week on prednisone. They're going to start tapering the steroids. He's also responding really well in general to it — more energy, able to walk much farther, appetite came roaring back.

      Bad news: MRI shows two new little spots. His previous MRI was in February, so this isn't good — maybe this means the immunotherapy isn't making a dent in his brain mets. Radiologist isn't sure if it's cancer or not, but it's not reassuring. Our regular oncologist is on vacation right now so she'll review the results next week. I wonder if my husband will be referred to the radiation oncologists again — but he's had a lot of brain radiation at this point. He had stereotactic radiation to a different brain met just a month ago.

      I was sort of expecting new stuff to pop up on the MRI. He gets confused and overwhelmed by new situations or decision-making pretty easily now. I have to take his phonecalls since he gets confused on the phone. I don't really feel comfortable with him going to places by himself any more, since he just doesn't think as clearly as he used to.

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        • March 28, 2019 at 7:38 pm
        Coragirl
        Participant

          I'm happy to hear that your husband's blood work is improving and he is feeling better. Sorry to hear about the MRI.The spots may not be cancer, I understand how worried you are. I read all your posts and I just want you know I think you are so strong and your husband is very lucky to have you. You are both in my prayers.

            • March 28, 2019 at 8:08 pm
            cjm22
            Participant

              Thanks for the well wishes, Amie! I don't feel very strong most of the time!! Haha — It's not as if anybody asked me "Hey, do you want your boyfriend to get stage 4 cancer?!" and I responded "YES definitely I can handle that!" We kind of just do what needs to be done, don't we?

              I also hope the spots aren't cancer. I was hoping maybe the MRI would just (!) show radiation necrosis or something. But so far everybody always treats small spots as if they're cancer … So I think maybe they'll get zapped again. I don't really know how many times a person can get brain mets zapped, though. These ones are new so maybe it's okay?

              I don't even know sometimes why I put our updates here — I don't often have questions any more (we've been at this for more than a year at this point). But then I remember that when my husband (then boyfriend!) was first diagnosed, I read SO MANY people's stories from beginning to end and found that really helpful. So maybe somebody else who winds up in a similar situation to us will find all these posts helpful someday.

              In happy news my husband is able to walk like 20 blocks now! Slowly and with a cane, but yeah! He hasn't walked this much since August 2018. Prednisone is a magical drug.

              • March 28, 2019 at 10:33 pm
              GeoTony
              Participant

                Hi Guys

                I'm so glad the prednisone is working its magic, crazy stuff, it flips you from sleeping to flying overnight.

                I really hope they can turn things round, you're strong and determind, he's a lucky man to have you fighting in his corner, make the most of the magic.

                And I totally hear you about just getting on with it, the first year flys by, doing what needs to be done, the rest of life just ends up on hold. I'm currently in limbo waiting for the POG outcome, no treatment, no trips to Vancouver, it's a weird almost guilty feeling just doing nothing related to treatment.

                I'll be back on something soon enough, you gotta keep fighting.

                 

                My thoughts are with you guys

                 

                Tony

                • March 28, 2019 at 11:08 pm
                cjm22
                Participant

                  Oh Tony!! <3 Thank you for the kind words! I hope you figure out next steps soon! Maybe you can think of this "time away from cancer things" as a vacation?! You'll have to dive back in when the next steps get figured out so enjoy the break while you can!! I feel like we have appointments practically every day (in fact we HAVE had appointments practically every day for three weeks now). 

                  We're definitely making the most of prednisone right now. We go walking all over the place every day! Bubble tea every afternoon (it's 10 blocks from our apartment)! Hurts the wallet but good for the soul…

                • March 29, 2019 at 12:38 am
                Bubbles
                Participant

                  Warm wishes to you all in this crazy world we fight in.  Hang tough, each of you.  Glad the prednisone is helping, cj!!!  celeste

                    • March 29, 2019 at 1:21 am
                    cjm22
                    Participant

                      It's crazy that I've known you as an internet celebrity for more than a year now!! Thanks Celeste!!

                      • March 29, 2019 at 1:27 am
                      Bubbles
                      Participant

                        Sorry!!!  Nobody really wants to know me!  HA! This forum is not where anybody wants to be.  But…it's got some awfully nice and caring peeps in it!  And…if we must be here…it's good we've got each other's back!  c

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