What's Not to Like about Good News?

We're pleased to report that the results of Bobby's CT Scan last week were very positive. The tumors are continuing to shrink, the left adrenal gland is now about half it's size compared to October, before the IL2 treatment!! Everything else we're watching was stable to slightly reduced in size. If fact, Dr Keller said he's beginning to think the spots we've been watching in the lungs may indeed not be cancer since they have been unchanged since we first started watching them in June 07. The right adrenal gland hadn't shrunk as much, but it was smaller to begin with and the scan image was not as clear. We are very encouraged by this good news.

We learned a little more about what IL2 does that was interesting. Dr Keller said IL2 affects the immune system by "rejiggerin' the t-cells" (love it when he speaks patient-talk, not doctor-talk) and that it has a lingering effect. Now that it's been tweaked, Bobby's immune system is continuing to fight the cancer. That explained, at least in our minds, why it was wiser to wait and see what would happen, rather than go back in for more treatment.

Dr Keller said he would talk to Dr Sosman this week, and we should hear from one or the other as to the next step. In the meantime, we're trying to work on the diet and exercise routine. Bobby's added a few nutrition supplements that we've been reading about. He drinks Essiac Tea and Green Tea, and takes Tumeric (a spice used in Indian cooking) and Resveratrol (the equivalent of 100 glasses of wine a day). We are also just trying to eat better in general, more fish & vegetables, less sugar, etc. When we told Dr Keller we'd added these supplements he replied, "can't hurt, might help." Bobby's also trying to become the gym rat he's always wanted to be, even talking about taking up racquetball again.

Thanks for checking on us, and for continuing to pray. Love, Juli