The life line…..

This week we are inbetweeners, as in between Cycles 1 and 2. Like all treatments before we had an appointment with the oncologist to “see how things are going” etc.

Simon gets anxious about these appointments, as if they are going to surprise him with some dastardly details that we didn’t know about.

However, this week we were thrown a lifeline. The clever people in the labs at the hospital had been testing the samples from Simons original tumour to see it there was a mutant gene (no ninja turtles), if there wasn’t then they could add an additional drug to the chemotherapy cocktail they were already giving him. The good news for us was Simon was not a mutant, or rather the tumour wasn’t. With this knowledge they can add this drug to his chemo regime. This one is called Cetuximab, this is a monoclonal antibody (apparently).

Here is a link to some official info on the treatment.

https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancerinformation/cancertreatment/treatmenttypes/biologicaltherapies/monoclonalantibodies/cetuximab.aspx

This is a life line to us as the research and information we have read about this therapy is really encouraging. Like most drugs there are side effects, but we will take those if this gives us a better chance of fighting this disease. Another weapon in our armoury.

So, cycle 2 starts on Monday, bring it on as we, as always are ready and we are bringing out the big guns. The hope is that three days of this treatment, and Simon gets a week to recover before the big day. We know with this cycle Simons hair will start to disappear, hats at the ready!

TTFN