Monday, February 6, 2012

Second Interleukin Treatment

I completed my second and final IL-2 treatment at Emory Hospital during the week of January the 30th.  This time I was able to receive my goal of five doses.  I felt horrible and was willing to take a sixth dose, but was secretly hoping against it.  Dr. Harris made the decision to end the treatment due to my low blood pressure and ceased urine output.  I gained over 20 pounds this time and felt like a blimp.  I recovered enough to come home Friday but still have a ways to go.  I do not consider myself to be particularly strong or tough or brave, so I am grateful that I my treatments and recoveries are relatively short in duration.  I'm not sure I could handle chemo treatments.
So now we wait to see if the IL-2 treatments worked.  In two or three weeks I will have another MRI which hopefully will show no new tumors and no new growth and shrinkage of the existing ones.  Please pray that it will be successful since it is the best opportunity for cure or remission.