A new chapter

My hope that the good progress made in the April scan would continue has been dashed. 

The follow up scan in July was all clear, and it felt like a new life had started. The decision to stop Opdivo was made and after 6 months of infusions I was free from regular hospital visits. What a relief that was in the heat of the summer.

The scan made in October showed that a bunch of tumors had reappeared in the fluid inside the ventricles of the brain. This fluid, also known as cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), flows through the ventricles, around the brain (meninges) down into the spine. 

As I explained in previous blog posts, the tumors in the ventricles were removed by pinpoint precision using the cyber-knife. This time this method is not an option due to the size and multitude of tumors. The only remaining treatment is full-brain radiation, combined with immunotherapy to prevent possible growth of spreading melanoma cells in the rest of the body.

Sounds like a good plan right? It does to me, were it not that this the last possible treatment. If the melanoma cells don’t react to this… This thought haunts me at night... Peace of mind comes soon after as I trust in God to guide me and make it work as he did so many times before. Let’s pray for that.

The treatment goes as follows: 

• Starting tomorrow noontime I will get a daily dose of radiation of 10 minutes, for 10 days. Friday 5th November is the last day.
• Tomorrow I will also get an cocktail infusion of Yervoy/Opdivo, lasting 2 hours. It is stronger than Opdivo alone, and is followed by a second infusion on November 15th. Ipilimumab and Nivolumab. Beautiful medicine names… patients call it Ipi-Nivo for short. 

Side effects are probably mild for me, including stomach upset, nausea, loss of hair, and tiredness. I plan to work in the morning to keep my mind occupied, and visit the hospital in the afternoon. Previously I stayed in a hotel nearby but that didn’t exactly cheer me up, so I will travel up and down this time (approx an hour from our house) 

The next scan is planned in January, so we’ll have to sit tight till then. Christmas will be a time to reflect on the gift of life. Wish me luck, and let’s pray together for easy side effects and good results!