Health Update

So Jim had a PET scan on Friday and went yesterday (Monday) to get his next round of immunotherapy. However, things didn't go as we had hoped. His PET scan results were not good. The doctor said that his melanoma is progressing and that she's afraid to continue with the Keytruda. The nodules that he's had are larger and there are new lesions not previously seen on his lungs. Additionally, they are seeing lesions on his adrenal (kidneys) and colon. Jim had me on speaker phone for the discussion with the doc (I'll be going to appointments from here on out). Basically she said that she wanted to put Jim back on one of the two drugs he was previously on and see how he does (called Tafinlar). This is not the drug that caused the fevers but rather the drug that causes joint swelling. I do not have a lot of faith in this. She stated that Jim could continue with around or two of the Keytruda but she didn't recommend it because she didn't want another 2 months to go by with it not working. Right now we're basically being forced to wait and see. I think we'll know pretty quickly if this drug he's now back on will work or not. I told Jim not to over analyze himself and how his joints are feeling (don't be a DQ) but also try and catch it quickly because of course we're headed into a 3-day weekend.

I was kind of a mess yesterday (though no one at work knew until I sort of broke down at the end of the day) because I looked at Jim's scan at school before school started. I know! But I didn't want to look at it at home and worry Jim all day but I needed to know so I could prepare myself for how Jim would do. Jim actually took the news like a champ and he's trying to not freak out. He's definitely disappointed about the immunotherapy though. We were really hoping that it would do it's job...for a while at least.

From here - if the drug he's on doesn't work - I don't know what we do. There is one more drug that the doc will try if the Tafinlar fails but it's basically the same drug but a different pharmaceutical company. And this is why I'll be going to Jim's appointments from here on out. I need to take notes and ask questions because Jim just doesn't. I wonder if we get a second opinion too. I don't know.

I'll say the obvious: I FUCKING HATE CANCER! What else can you say.

And that's all I've got. Sorry for the shit news. I'll keep you all updated. Later. Happy Tuesday!