Hope

[kellyOd]

Hi guys. We are 5 days post chemotherapy treatment. (Carboplatin and Taxol combo) Ryan is doing fairly well. He has some achy joints and muscles. Unfortunately so much so that he has been taking a low dose pain med. tolerable once it kicks in and he can carry on life as normal. He feels fine otherwise which is great.

We had a second opinion appointment today with medstar Franklin square in Baltimore. The doctor is a melanoma specialist and has given an option, or open door rather to something we didn’t know could happen. Which was like getting two birds with one stone. Avastin is a drug that is used for brain edema, and can essentially take care of it within 4 doses. Comes with a possible large price tag. So we will consider. But if we can get him off steroids which the Avastin will allow; that re opens the door for the immunotherapy that could save his life. Chemotherapy is a bridge essentially the way she put it. It will buy us time but is definitely not curative. (We knew that)

Everything is happening so fast again, and I will try and keep everyone updated as I know this is an older treatment option that not everyone is faced with, but maybe one day will.

Love you all and hope all is well; keep fighting. There’s light at the end of the tunnel. Xoxo

[missyrand Ambassador]

Kelly

How much, if any, down time or break from the taxol chemo would be needed if Ryan decided to try Avastin as a bridge chemo approach to return to immunotherapy? Can they be taken simultaneously?

Peace

Missy

[kellyOd in reply to missyrand]

It can actually be given at the same time. Which is awesome. As long as he is below 10mg of prednisone or 1.6mg of decadron a day he can do immunotherapy. The goal is for him to be off it as a whole. So we are deciding if the pros outweigh the cons currently. It’s great we have another door that has opened, that we thought was closed.