Day 2 of Treatment
The clinic suggested a day of rest between treatments as well as a less strenuous treatment for Round 2. Shane was also better prepared for what was coming---all in all a better day for him.
Shane came well equipped to this session of loco-regional hyperthermia (say that three times fast!) with Les Miserables (the unabridged version) on Audible, AirPods, mini electric fan (one of my birth doula bag essentials), and, most importantly, well-napped beforehand. Victor Hugo and extra snooze time for the win!
In other news, Dr. Kleef's lovely crew does bloodwork often and it was discovered that Shane's D-dimer is elevated, which means an increased chance of DVT (deep vein thrombosis). To remedy that, twice a day I am injecting him with Lovenox, a blood thinner. He's also taking a bevy of supplements morning and night. It's rather ironic that the man who never, ever took a pharmaceutical drug, save the occasional Advil for a headache, is now, and will continue to be, taking ALL the drugs. Currently he's got one for sleep, one for thinning his blood, one for pain, and more to come with the immunotherapy. In for a penny, in for a pound, I suppose.
As I write this Shane is emerging from his ECG, all normal, phew! Now back to the apartment to retrieve our luggage and we'll be driven to Vienna. Immunotherapy is the "big gun", and the biggest reason we are here halfway across the world. We value immunotherapy treatment for melanoma (it's been around less than a decade) and we very much want to incorporate it in Shane's care, but not in a one-size-fits-all manner as they do in the US. Dr. Kleef is one of the only people in the world (just one other doc in FL) offering immunotherapy in a low dose protocol. You'll hear me repeat myself on this point, just want to make sure everyone knows why we're traipsing around the world for care.