Opdivo immunotherapy

[DancingEyes63]

Good morning everyone. Jimmy starts the immunotherapy this morning. Insurance denied the Tecentriq and Avastin combo at last minute so we're going with Opdivo instead. His insurance company is changing at end of month so Oncologist says can always try again for approval with new company. He wanted to start something though ASAP so I guess it's better than nothing. Hopefully it will work. The nurse says it takes less time for infusion and fewer side effects so that's a plus I guess. Amazes me that a pencil pusher can sit there and override treatment decisions made by Oncologist with years of training and experience. Insurance companies are allowed to play God with people's lives and decide if their life is worth the expense of treatment.

I'll get off my soap box now. Hopefully he'll do well. Appreciate lots of prayers and good thoughts this morning. ❤️❤️❤️

Sharon

[Curly_Girl Caregiver]

I completely, COMPLETELY agree with you about insurance companies! And I'm sending all kinds of prayers and good thoughts. Opdivo is another treatment I've heard great things about so don't give up hope!

Hugs!!

Wendy

[DancingEyes63 Moderator Caregiver in reply to Curly_Girl]

Thank you so much my sweet friend. Don't know what I'd do without your love and encouragement. Everything went smoothly this morning and he's been fine this afternoon and evening. Just tired. We go back in 2 weeks for another treatment and then two weeks later, he has labs and sees the Dr to see how it seems to be working. Wishing you a wonderful night. Love you!!!Sharon

[WayCas Patient]

Stay on your soap box and always be an advocate for your cause. I have had to do this everyday since my diagnosis of HCC in June 2017. My cancer was 11cm x 11cm and inoperable with portal vein thrombosis. But, with many letters and calls I was able to get one of the first treatments for HCC in November 2017. After 53 rounds of treatment, the last one was on January 3, 2019, my cancer was 6cm by 6cm and stable. Now almost 2 years there has been no change. I had no problems with Opdivo. Chair time is short with no complications. I did have a port placed for convenience. My prayers and thoughts are with you.

Wayne

[DancingEyes63 Moderator Caregiver in reply to WayCas]

Hi Wayne. Yes I've learned already how important it is to be an advocate. Not only for Jimmy personally and his care but I feel it's important to be an advocate for better care for everyone fighting liver cancer. So often so many things fall through the cracks and people don't get treatment they need. I've found that out the hard way over this last year. I told Jimmy about your good luck with the treatment and I think it did him good to hear about a real person that had received it with good results. I am going to reach out to the company that makes the Tecentriq and Avastin to ask about their program providing medicine for people without insurance or whose insurance won't approve just in case. Thank you so much for the prayers. Everything went well this morning. He's just been tired this afternoon. Sharon

[bwpickard Caregiver]

Echo what Wendy said!!! Insurance can be very frustrating!! We had a treatment denied initially that later was approved so don’t give up hope! And opdivo can work wonders for the people that it works for so it’s a great treatment to try!!! Prayers coming your way!!! Bonnie

[DancingEyes63 Moderator Caregiver in reply to bwpickard]

Hi Bonnie. Thank you so much for the prayers and encouraging words. Hoping that we'll have good results with the Opdivo because it does seem to be easier to take. If not, believe me I'll be fighting for another one. ❤️❤️❤️Sharon

[Hidden]

Good Luck! Praying for us all!

[DancingEyes63 Moderator Caregiver in reply to Hidden]

Thank you and you are so right. I pray for all that I've meet on here and a couple other support groups plus the thousands of others that I don't know about. Cancer is a beast in any form but liver cancer is one of the worst. ❤️❤️🙏🙏🙏❤️❤️

[Wifey2021 Caregiver]

Jimmy has my prayers for this new treatment. We are waiting to hear whether Medicare will cover Y-90 to be scheduled in January.

[DancingEyes63 Moderator Caregiver in reply to Wifey2021]

Thank you. As if cancer isn't bad enough, insurance companies have to make our lives even harder. 💔 I'll be praying they'll approve so he can get treatment he needs. 🙏🙏🙏🙏Sharon

[Hidden]

opdivo.com/about-opdivo/how...

[DancingEyes63 Moderator Caregiver in reply to Hidden]

Thank you so much! That was much more informative than what the oncologist gave us. ❤️Sharon