A Few Answers

Please don't hesitate to ask questions! I have had a few e-mails and questions in the comments and don't at all mind answering them. In fact, it has all become so clinical to me now, I have no problem talking about the cancer part of all this. It seems odd, but I can actually discuss it as if it is not happening to Bill. If you ask me about the emotional end of it... nevermind, I am a mess! Sometimes the two paths get intertwined, but you'll notice I avoid emotional questions if I am not ready to talk about certain things. I know myself, and once I start crying, it's hard for me to stop. There is no such thing as "just tearing up" in my world.

Question: What happened to the new drug they were adding to the trial?

Answer: There was never really a "new" drug, as we thought, it was the wording/format of the trial that was incorrect and had to be reapproved by the state and the ethics board at the City of Hope.

Question: How long will he be in treatment?

Answer: Right now, if it works, he will need to maintain treatment for the rest of his life. Since it is not curable, he will need to continue treatment in order to stop the cancer from growing. Stopping treatment is giving the cancer permission to multiply.

Question: When will they be able to tell if it is working?

Answer: They do new tests every 2 cycles which is every 2 months. The doctor did say that these are not "fast acting" drugs, but will be able to tell if growth has stopped after the 2 cycles. If the mass doesn't stop growing, then they stop treatment and I suppose we would start the back-up plan, which is chemo.

I think I covered everything - please let me know there are more questions. My brain is mush these days.