Another New Year

As one gets older, it seems that the passing of the year goes by faster and faster, doesn't it? My wife and I stayed home. The weather being wet and cold, the noise level for the celebration in the neighborhood was a bit subdued this year, though that isn't anything I'm complaining about.

I have been having some increase in symptoms the last week. I've had a couple of days of feeling pretty full, which must mean the nodes are growing again. So, nine months after the end of my eight months of treatment with flavopiridol, I am going to need more treatment.

I did go to Stanford and met with Dr. Coutre regarding a CAL-101 trial, this time with rituximab. That was in September. One concern I had was having a CT scan as part of the trial, which I won't do unless I'm in immediate danger of dying. He assured me that he could substitute an MRI, which is less dangerous for the patient.

Well, since then I did sign up for the trail, but the trial coordinator, Michelle, said the MRI is off the table. She did want me to do the three-hour drive to meet with Dr. Coutre again, but I told her I'd like to avoid that if possible. I was down there just a couple of months ago.

She was inflexible, and said she talked with Dr. Coutre, and that he has changed his mind, or perhaps the drug company is now inflexible about the scanning. Too bad. I told her to give up my space on the trial to someone who doesn't mind being irradiated with a lifetime's worth of radiation.

So, I have to resign myself to not trying one of the new 'great' drugs. And of course it will be another four or five years before the drug is approved, if it is.

I wish I had not placed my hopes in CAL-101. (Besides, the response rate is only about 50% anyway, so it may not have even worked. And that I would have had a series of CT scans?)