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Thanks for your reply, Carol. We do have a mel specialist, probably the oldest and most respected one…in the world, at least that's what I've heard. We love him and feel confident and comfortable with him. What I don't know is how far down the chemo road a person can go and still come back to some semblance of normal health. We don't want him to just keep getting worse and yet proportionally the tumors are shrinking only a little. At some point the imbalance has to tip too far one way. I don't want to make that call too late–or too soon.

Thanks again! We will continue to fight and advocate. I'm just trying to do the right thing here, and hoped some more input would help us see what the future looks like with a bunch more chemo! Cuz right now it isn't pretty!

Frank,

It does help, thank you. I didn't realize there was a search feature on the clinical trials website, thanks for that.

And it is unsophisticated, isn't it? I remember living in California when they dumped malathion from planes to kill the fruitfly in the 1980s. What a disaster! That's what this feels like.

The scans were great today, so my husband is going to continue the chemo for two more rounds. We'll reevaluate then and have some other options lined up as possibilities.

I appreciate you taking the time to reply. This discussion board is so helpful!

Frank,

It does help, thank you. I didn't realize there was a search feature on the clinical trials website, thanks for that.

And it is unsophisticated, isn't it? I remember living in California when they dumped malathion from planes to kill the fruitfly in the 1980s. What a disaster! That's what this feels like.

The scans were great today, so my husband is going to continue the chemo for two more rounds. We'll reevaluate then and have some other options lined up as possibilities.

I appreciate you taking the time to reply. This discussion board is so helpful!

Thank you, Lori, and I'm so sorry you lost your husband. I cannot imagine, and if I try it is unbearable. It's like I want to feel the pain and get it out of the way, prepare for it, but I know that it doesn't work that way. I know you can never be prepared for the empty space, that person's energy simply not being in the world anymore. I know when my mother died of cancer, I was with her in the end and, though I know what I know about physiology and death, I had the strangest compulsion to look for her, even when her body was right in front of me! She simply was no longer there. Intellectually I get it, but I really did halfway look around like, "Where is she? She was just here."  It was the strangest feeling.

Today went well. The scan showed way significant tumor shrinkage, so onward for two more rounds of three treatments each.

Stay in touch! I appreciate what you said about the cancer or the chemo. That really is what it is, and ultimately, that is Steve's decision and he still wants to fight. I'm totally behind him.

Take care!

Thank you, Lori, and I'm so sorry you lost your husband. I cannot imagine, and if I try it is unbearable. It's like I want to feel the pain and get it out of the way, prepare for it, but I know that it doesn't work that way. I know you can never be prepared for the empty space, that person's energy simply not being in the world anymore. I know when my mother died of cancer, I was with her in the end and, though I know what I know about physiology and death, I had the strangest compulsion to look for her, even when her body was right in front of me! She simply was no longer there. Intellectually I get it, but I really did halfway look around like, "Where is she? She was just here."  It was the strangest feeling.

Today went well. The scan showed way significant tumor shrinkage, so onward for two more rounds of three treatments each.

Stay in touch! I appreciate what you said about the cancer or the chemo. That really is what it is, and ultimately, that is Steve's decision and he still wants to fight. I'm totally behind him.

Take care!

Thank you, Carol. Your words are heartening! It turned out the issue was not really an issue because the tumor shrinkage was so significant, stopping the chemo now, or 'changing horses midstream' as our oncologist said, was not a wise move. We did talk about revisiting a change after the next two rounds (3 treatments, 1 week off, 3tx 1 week off and scan). Also, I guess the Abraxane and Avastin combo  works on his brain tumor as the Avastin crosses the blood-brain barrier. So, I get it and am glad we all talked it out, also glad that the scan results were so good. Thanks again!

Thank you, Carol. Your words are heartening! It turned out the issue was not really an issue because the tumor shrinkage was so significant, stopping the chemo now, or 'changing horses midstream' as our oncologist said, was not a wise move. We did talk about revisiting a change after the next two rounds (3 treatments, 1 week off, 3tx 1 week off and scan). Also, I guess the Abraxane and Avastin combo  works on his brain tumor as the Avastin crosses the blood-brain barrier. So, I get it and am glad we all talked it out, also glad that the scan results were so good. Thanks again!

Thank you, Carol. Your words are heartening! It turned out the issue was not really an issue because the tumor shrinkage was so significant, stopping the chemo now, or 'changing horses midstream' as our oncologist said, was not a wise move. We did talk about revisiting a change after the next two rounds (3 treatments, 1 week off, 3tx 1 week off and scan). Also, I guess the Abraxane and Avastin combo  works on his brain tumor as the Avastin crosses the blood-brain barrier. So, I get it and am glad we all talked it out, also glad that the scan results were so good. Thanks again!

Thank you, Carol. Your words are heartening! It turned out the issue was not really an issue because the tumor shrinkage was so significant, stopping the chemo now, or 'changing horses midstream' as our oncologist said, was not a wise move. We did talk about revisiting a change after the next two rounds (3 treatments, 1 week off, 3tx 1 week off and scan). Also, I guess the Abraxane and Avastin combo  works on his brain tumor as the Avastin crosses the blood-brain barrier. So, I get it and am glad we all talked it out, also glad that the scan results were so good. Thanks again!