Welcome to our 'Hopeful Spot'

Dear Family and Friends,

We look forward to sharing Ian's medical progress and our family's journey with all of you.

This is where we will do our best to keep you up to date on Ian's medical condition. This is how the story started:

In August, 2007, Ian developed what started out like an itchy fly bite on his right shoulder. Within two weeks it was about 8 mm in diameter, raised, red and extremely itchy. It was excised, and found to be a "stage IIB malignant melanoma". This was followed by a wide excision down to muscle, skin grafting, and what is called a sentinel node dissection. Radioactive material is injected in the original site, and all lymph nodes that accumulate the material are removed, presumably the lymph nodes that drain the original tumour.

As this tumour had aggressive features, the risk of recurrence was estimated at 30%. A search of the literature revealed several prominent names, including Dr. Lawrence Flaherty of Wayne State in Detroit. I emailed Larry, who emailed me within an hour, and called me later that day, talking for an hour. He recommended that I consider a year of high dose interferon alpha. This appeared to reduce the recurrence rate by 25-30% - ie in my case maybe to 20% from 30%. I took the drug IV at home, in Joan's hospital, and by self injection for 11 months.

I began in March to have upper abdominal pain. When the maximal treatment for a peptic ulcer had no impact, an ultrasound, followed by a CT scan revealed that I had multiple area of tumour in my liver (about 10 or so, 1-2 cm in size), an 8 cm mass of lymph nodes just outside my liver (porta hepatis), and a 2 cm right axillary lymph node. Undoubtedly the cancer had spread from the get go.

After a whirlwind of emails to experts (Larry Flaherty, Teresa Petrella, and Jeff Weber of Detroit, Toronto and Tampa respectively, as well as Paul Chapman of Memorial), an opportunity suddenly arose unexpectedly. Jeff Weber had an opening develop in a then closed study of a drug that for him looked quite exciting. Like most of the treatments of melanoma being investigated, it is an immune modulator, that helps the immune system attack the tumour. I had to be in Tampa in 36 hours to be screened. This drug is given IV over 90 minutes every three weeks. Responses are delayed. Imaging to assess response is not done for 12 weeks. Some dramatic responses have occurred much later. The main adverse effects are fatigue, diarrhea, cramps, and a rash.
I was screened on June 5th, and hope to start the drug on June 9th.

Your interest in our journey is a comfort to us. Please sign on as a follower, so we know you are there. Add a comment as you wish. If you would like, email Ian at dr_i_reid@hotmail.com.

We also want and need to hear your news. It will be affirming for us to know that we continue to be an important part of your lives.

In addition to access to the best medical resources, we are most fortunate to be blessed with all of the ingredients in the recipe for a positive outcome. We are surrounded by love... and so grateful for our closely knit family, our many precious friends, our caring community and our nurturing church family. We share a deep and abiding faith that God is walking this difficult path with us.

Please take comfort in knowing that for us, this is a journey of hope. While we are well aware of the seriousness of our situation, we wish to focus on our blessings and strengths, celebrating each day to the fullest.

Remember, continuing to include us among those who share in your joys and sorrows... sending us your messages of encouragement, faith, hope and love... and keeping us in your thoughts and prayers are the most important things you can do to support us.

Blessings to all of you,

The Reid Family


Wednesday, October 6, 2010

October Thanksgiving

It has been three months since the last blog entry, and three months since the last CT scan. I continue to feel well. I was pleased and relieved to find today that the mass outside my liver has shrunk further to be only about 2.2 cm. My immunity with the boost of ipi continues to do its miracles.

Joan and I celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary this year. We are about to embark on a 30 day
trip to China, then Cambodia and Vietnam, together with our good friends Gary and Lynda Rayner,
and 26 other Maritimers.

It will be wonderful. The sights to see are too numerable to mention. The past three years have been so challenging, to get away for a month is wonderful.

I continue to encounter others suffering from melanoma. It appears that ipilumumab may be the drug of choice in this disease once it is fully approved and released. Unfortunately, the only access currently is for those for whom standard chemotherapy has failed. Some have to have two courses of therapy unlikely to help just to qualify. For me, I cannot access the drug at all due to toxicity last year. I might be able to once the drug is approved.

This is the Season of Thanksgiving. I have so much for which to be grateful. I don't know why I am in the fortunate 10-20%. It is just as well we don't get what we deserve sometimes.

Best wishes to all who have followed my journey, and thanks.

Ian
Posted by Ian at 8:34 PM

1 comments:

  1. Ian, this is really wonderful news!!! I'm really looking forward to hearing all about your trip to Southeast Asia, it is such an incredible part of the world and I'm sure you'll enjoy it very much.

    Your last paragraph was interesting ... I think in this twisted world where so many bad things happen to good people, as well as the reverse, it sure is nice to see the good guy win every once in a while. I'm sure I can speak for everyone following your blog that we are all very thankful for your continued recovery and enjoyment of life :)

    Happy Anniversary & Bon Voyage!!

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