OK,

So it's been, well, about 6 or 7 weeks it looks like, since I updated. It has been eventful but if I'm honest, the real reason I have been delayed is I have been trying to pretend I'm not a cancer patient for a bit, whilst I still can!

So, by way of update. When we left off I had been demitted from my first trial, and we were considering what to do for the next trial -- waiting a bit, doing nothing, standard of care or an immunotherapy trial. We decided on the immunotherapy trial using Pembrolizumab (I think that's the spelling) - a PD-1 inhibitor that has been approved for use with some cancers and is being studied for use in head-and-neck cancer. I had a 50% chance of getting the trial and a 50% chance of getting the standard chemo but to do so I had to get another biopsy.

The biopsy was relatively uneventful, but in performing it, the pulmonologist noted that one of the tumors has begun to get nearer my airway -- my MO thinks this may be contributing to an aggravating cough I've had the last month -- I'm hoping it's just an aggravating cough. Either way, he changed his mind and decided we need to move quickly and so two weeks ago we started the trial and I was selected into the experimental group which is good news -- I am now getting an infusion every three weeks for one of the most exciting drugs in the cancer-fighting game. Unfortunately, though it works quite well when it works, it's about a 25-30% chance that it will work. We are, of course, hopeful that I finally win a damned dice roll.

Side effects are, after one infusion, non-existent except for the possible chance that I have some low grade flu-like symptoms on some days -- I'm not even sure I've had that yet, though, since that could just be feeling a bit tired or achy on a given day. At any rate, I get my second infusion this Friday and a scan in about 6 or 7 weeks, I think.

So, I am alive, as well as can be expected and hopeful for the new drug. Should it not work, however, I am beginning to think we may be running our of options -- for now, however, I'm trying quite hard not to think about that.

My wife continues to support me, drive me around, sit through lots of waiting rooms and generally keep my spirits up. Generally, I am maintaining what I think is a good attitude, but I must confess I have good days and bad days. As we all know, this sucks.

I hope everyone is doing as well as can be expected -- Now I'm on a new trial, I will try to keep this better updated.

Tidy.

The Hellion