Getting Aggressive

After the PET scan in March, we knew that we needed to get with our team in Tulsa, at Camelot Cancer Care, and come up with a new, tweaked, treatment plan. As I stated in our last post..we were not as aggressive as we could have been, cutting corners due to financial resources. A dear, dear lady, that goes to church with Derek's Granny, had given us enough money to cover our hotel expenses for the duration of our three week stay, this past November. She once again offered her help financially. We thank God for her!!

The week before Easter, Derek headed up to Tulsa, by himself, in order to save on hotel expenses. He left early Wednesday morning and returned late Friday night. He stayed with our favorite nurse and her family the two nights there. He had, I believe, three different types of treatment those three days...nothing that would make him feel ill. He returned home with another 20 day supply of the drip treatments with DMSO, and some oral supplements, etc. The new plan: an oral supplement two to three times a day, DMSO drips once a day, a leg rub solution twice a day...etc. Also included, no more spreading the four day bags out over seven days! So, we began immediately!!

The reactions/results thus far: very mild nausea..nothing he cannot tolerate or bear; swelling of the tumor (see last post about tumor death causing edema ~ YEEHAW!); extreme headache...which lasted a few days, but has since subsided (Thank God and thank goodness our favorite nurse Belinda doesn't mind (or at least puts up a good front) answering her phone at night!). What does all this mean? Derek was experiencing what is referred to as "Herksing" or the "Herksheimer's reaction". When toxins are released in the system, it causes flu-like symptoms....in other words...a GREAT SIGN!! These symptoms tell us that all the treatments are working! Even though it is very hard to watch, a little part of me rejoices!! I hate that Derek has to go through all of this, but I am so grateful that we are winning. We have been told by several patients who had chemo prior to going to Camelot, that their worst day on these treatments were nothing in comparison to their best days on chemo!!