But first, the really good news. Since my last blog update, I have met a truly wonderful man who seems to take most of the cancer stuff (and my over thinking it) in stride. He keeps me calm when I am worried, and can help me laugh about anything. I can't wait until we are married! (July 9th!) I could go on and on about his wonderful qualities, but you'd probably be bored. :)
Ok, now onto the cancer stuff - I was offered, and accepted, a spot in a clinical trial. Before I get the drug, I have to get (and pass) a series of blood tests and scans to make sure that I am not bringing any unnecessary risks or variables into their experiment. If I pass, I will get the drug by infusion (IV) every other week for eight weeks. After the first eight weeks, I'll have another set of scans to see if the drug is having any effect. In the meantime, I'll have lots of blood tests to check things like how much drug is in my system, and how my immune system is reacting to the drug.
The drug is an immune booster, that will, in theory, make my T-cells more active and more able to recognize the cancer as foreign and (hopefully) attack it. (For any of my immunology-versed friends, it is an OX40 - (CD134) agonist.) The side-effects for this class of drug are generally mild, with fatigue being the biggest one.
Any clinical trial comes with risk, and absolutely no guarantee that it will help me, or anyone who tries the drug. I accepted the spot, not because I am feeling worse, or because I think it will be a miracle cure, but because I hope that this trial will be a small step in the search for a good treatment for ACC.
I will try to keep the blog updated with dates, how the trial is going, and how I am feeling. Thanks in advance for your prayers, happy thoughts, and support as I try this path.
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| Rich and I enjoying the Christmas Lights |
