Monday, December 6, 2010

On Cloud Nine

I’m still floating on cloud nine from the super good scan results. It was especially nice to share it with family and friends after so many months of not so good news. It was about 16 months ago since I’ve had shrinkage of my tumors … the only news I’ve had to share since then has been about stability or growth.

After the Onc left the room at my Thursday appointment, I asked the clinical trials nurse … I remember reading in the handout info you gave me before I signed up for the trial that after 12 weeks things change up a bit … what happens? She said … if your cancer gets considerably better or remains stable while on Brivanib, you will continue Brivanib treatments. If the cancer gets considerably worse on or before the 12 week visit, you will not continue in the study and Brivanib treatments will stop.

Of course, the nurse said I am nowhere near stable right now. Stability is where you get to a predetermined tumor size and stay within a certain percentage of that size. If you are considered stable, the participants in the trial become randomized with a placebo.

But, if I continue to improve, I will continue taking the trial drug … and that’s assuming my body is handling the side effects well.

And lastly, if the drug stops working and the tumors grow over a certain level, you are off the study, she said. She tried to draw out the various scenarios for me but this foggy brain of mine just didn’t quite get it all, so I said to her, I’ll just worry about taking my four pills a day and you guys worry about when I’m considered stable or improving and all that other stuff.

Its three weeks till my next blood draw and six weeks till my next scan. I am just going to blissfully float along until then.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am very very happy for you !

gillian said...

Just love your practical approach: you will do your thing and they must do their thing. Enjoy floating along blissfully.

Sue in Italia/In the Land Of Cancer said...

Here's to 6 weeks of bliss and hopefully then more shrinkage will be observed.

Joanna Moore said...

Terrific news! I am so glad to hear it.

Whidbey Woman said...

:) Smiles all around.

donna peach said...

Keep floating, Daria. Cloud Nine is a great place. Hugs

Bernie said...

Your right sweetie, you do your thing, the doctors will do their thing and God will handle everything else. I love knowing your happy and everything is going well, you deserve this good news...Hugs

Nancy K. said...

Merry Christmas!

Nice present! ;-)

Here's hoping there's more good news in 2011...

Dee said...

Yay!