Let the healing begin......

Well, after much to-do, we arrived in Houston on Sunday at 5:30 pm. Took us 13 hours to get here, but we're here! Too many planes were either broken or late - but with a little finesse and a lot of coercing - we got here - not the way we planned -but here. We're staying at the Holiday Inn Medical center - about 1/4 mile from Dr Amato's.

This morning we took the trek (I walked - Joe wheeled) to the good doctor's place to begin the process that we have all waited for in the last 7 months. He got a bunch of blood work done and then his Trovax shot at 1 pm. Since his hemoglobin level was so low, they had to give him a pint of blood before the IL-2 shot - and I had to find a pharmacy to supply us with the medicines we need to counteract the side effects - - -after 5 pharmacies and a tearful phone call to Maureen, our tech took pity on my poor tired feet (I was on foot finding the pharmacies) and drove me to CVS about 5 miles away - I was attempting to walk it to get the meds - so we literally just got back from the clinic - it's 8:30 pm Houston time. He got the IL-2 shot in his belly at 7:27 pm. I am anxiously sitting here waiting for the side effects to take over....

Side effects include fever, chills, rigors, nausea, low blood pressure, swelling and a general feeling of ickiness. So far, he is a champ. We are premedicating him with Tylenol for fever, Aleve and Zofran for Nausea and Demerol for chills. I purchased pedialyte and Gatorade for if his blood pressure drops. They said that the side effects will occur in about an hour and last 4 hours. After that - he will be very sleepy.

Tomorrow we will go back in around 10 am to get another liter of blood and his second IL-2 shot. Wednesday we go in for the IL-2 shot only, Thurs and Fri we're on our own with the IL-2 shots here in the hotel, Saturday and Sunday he will be sleeping and getting some recovery time. Monday he has more blood work and then we take off for home at 2 pm. IL-2 is on schedule for Monday - Friday for 6 weeks, then 2 weeks off. The effects will be cumulative so side effects may escalate as he builds up the IL-2 in his system.

Please pray for continued strength for us to go on and for this trial to work for Joe to have regression of his disease.

I appreciate all the help that you folks are doing for Gina and Tom at home.

Love
Vicki