Everybody remain calm

So. Today was supposed to be an easy day. Blood work early. Dr. Appointment before noon. Home by dinner time.

NOT!

I need to remember that MDA is not the real world. Not even close.

So the blood work went well. Then we had a little breakfast in the cafe there and waited for the 11:30 Dr. T appointment. And waited. And waited.

We finally saw the nurse for a few general questions about 12:45.

Then Marisa the Research Specialist Nurse spent about 30 minutes with us. Everything with blood work looked good. David looked good. Everything good to go. So David gets the vaccine. 3 small sticks under the skin. He didn't LOVE it. But it was okay. And no reaction to it so far.

So except for the time delay, it's good, we will be good to go after Dr. T sees us.

Don't freak out now. David has been coughing some. Not a lot, but it has increased the last 2 weeks. He has also mentioned, not complained, just mentioned that he has had shortness of breath a few times. Because we are talking about cancer in the lungs, it has been something to concern us. Marisa says she has had some reports of these symptoms with the drug Sutent. She will mention to Dr. T. If he even exists at this point, I wonder.

So he FINALLY comes in about 1:30. Yes I know he has other patients. He is all happy with how great David has handled the first round of Sutent. But he wants to listen to lungs. He decides the right lung doesn't sound right and sends us to get an xray. We have to wait until 2:30 to leave anyway, because they have to check the injection site for any reaction. So ok. We get the xray.  By then it is 2:40. We ask the nurse to please tell Marisa we are back to have site checked and get xray report.

Then we wait. Until 3:30.

Marisa says site looks fine. She'll go find Dr. T.

Remain calm. There is something more in the right lung that was not present in the previous xray, 6 weeks ago. Because they did an xray and not a CAT scan, it is not clear. It was read as either a progression of the cancer or pneumonia. Our choices are:
1. Go home. Take an antibiotic for pneumonia. Continue with the Sutent for 3 weeks. Come back for complete scans in 3 weeks as planned.
2. Have a Cat scan later this evening and spend the night.
Dr. T is okay with either.

David decides choice #1. Here's why:
1. He feels fine.
2. If it's pneumonia, antibiotic will take care of it.
3. If it's a progression of the cancer, he will have 3 weeks for the vaccine to work alongside of the Sutent.
4. He needs to feed his horse.

Dr. T says fine. If David has any worsening symptoms, if the shortness of breath becomes noticeable with normal activities, he is to go to the oncologist here that he has seen before for a CAT scan.

After Dr. T leaves, we ask Marisa if we did the right thing? She said she would have done the same thing.

So. It's funny, but pray for pneumonia.

If it is a progression, they will continue the vaccine schedule but switch the oral drug that goes with it.

We left the office about 4:30. For fun and thrills, I encourage everyone to experience Houston 5 o'clock traffic.

We made it home about 9:30.

I just looked at the actual radiologist report. While it does say there is this new mass in the right lung, neither Dr. T nor Marisa told us that the LEFT lung lesions have shrunk. So I have no idea why one lung would respond to the treatment and the other wouldn't. But I suppose cancer is not rational.

Please pray:
1. Pneumonia, not cancer progression.
2. Minimal side effects from 2nd round of Sutent.
3. Combination of Sutent and vaccine kicks cancer in the butt.
4. No complications for the next 3 weeks when we go back for complete scans and next vaccine.

We remain hopeful, knowing that there are many other drugs to try if the Sutent is not effective. One thing I have learned is that if MDA says it's not over, it's not.

The other thing I have learned is that you will not leave MDA in a timely manner. Just get over it.

Thank you for praying.