Interferon is one of the most divisive subjects, it seems. I appreciated the pros and cons as we were making a decision for my husband, but it seems to be one of those treatments that can bring about extreme comments. Let's help each other make informed decisions, not tear down when people are already at a tough spot in life.
Interferon is one of the most divisive subjects, it seems. I appreciated the pros and cons as we were making a decision for my husband, but it seems to be one of those treatments that can bring about extreme comments. Let's help each other make informed decisions, not tear down when people are already at a tough spot in life.
My husband did interferon for 10 months, and, while it was hard, we don't regret it for a moment. He is one that has done well, so far. Was it due to interferon? We'll never know, but he's still here, and we really had expections of something much worse than what we have. His was extremely deep, lymph nodes matted, and is 3C. He has been NED for over 2 years, and we're thankful for every doctor, surgery and treatment that helped him achieve this. Even with a different outcome, I probably wouldn't feel we had done the wrong thing.
Has it been easy? No. He worked half days, and could barely make it home. He has ringing in his ears, and it took about 7 months to really seem like himself again. He wears down quicker, but so do I!
The important things have already been mentioned….anti-depressants, huge amounts of water, bananas, family support, and discipline to keep some manner of normality. He also needed some anti-anxiety medication, can't remember what it was.
I do believe that if you really trust your physician and he recommends it, he probably has a reason for it. Ask him why he suggests interferon rather than something else, and listen to what he says. Interferon keeps coming back up here, so, obviously, melanoma oncologists aren't ready to throw it out the window.
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