A few hang ups... but back on track!

 Miss Nora enjoying some play time in the fresh snow!

Hello All,


As you know last week Carolyn was scheduled to start her treatment in Boston.  It turned out that her liver functions were not well enough to proceed with the preferred course of treatment.  They tried two days in a row.  When we got this info we were all a bit deflated, unsure of what was next.  Luckily, The team at Mass General Hospital did not waste a second.  They immediately put Plan 2 into action.  Carolyn was able to start treatment at home on Thursday.  She is taking a medication 2 times a day that will target tumor shrinkage.  We are unsure of how long this treatment plan will last, they really want to revert to Plan 1 if we can get her liver functioning were it should be.  Carolyn is remaining filled with positive joy, thanks to the amazing dedicated staff at MGH.  She has a team working hard on her side and she is blown away with there professionalism, support and positive attitudes.  In addition to her medication they are setting up acupuncture, reiki and spa treatments for Carolyn. 


We continue to thank you for your prayers and support! 

A new FOE, I like it......

The writing lesson, by Albert Anker, 1865. 

Hello All!! 


Today is the day we have been waiting for!  Carolyn's treatment will begin in Boston today, she will be closely monitored throughout the day.  We are all praying that her body takes treatment well and begins to shirk those tumors.  


Here is a great article we found, Keith Flaherty is Carolyn's Doctor.


A new Foe for Advanced Melanoma: drug offers hope to half of patients with deadly skin cancer.



A new drug may change the landscape of melanoma treatment, offering patients a treatment option beyond anything now in use against the skin cancer. Tests in people whose melanoma had spread showed the drug was able to shrink tumors in most patients and, in a few cases, even wipe the growths out, scientists report in the Aug. 26 New England Journal of Medicine. The compound targets the protein encoded by a mutated version of the BRAF gene that underlies melanoma in roughly half of all patients.
"This is clearly a turning point" in melanoma treatment, says study coauthor Paul Chapman of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. "It's the first time we're actually treating the genetics of the tumor."
Most early-stage melanomas can be surgically removed and stopped. But patients' prospects take a deadly turn if the cancer spreads beyond an initial skin lesion. Chemotherapy drugs benefit fewer than 20 percent of such patients.
In the new study, Chapman, Keith Flaherty of Harvard Medical School in Boston and colleagues treated 48 patients who had BRAF-related metastatic melanoma with PLX4032, a drug devised to stop the mutant BRAF protein from triggering cell growth.
Of the 48 patients, 37 experienced tumor shrinkage of at least 30 percent. In three, the tumors resolved completely. This tumor suppression lasted from three months to about two years. Some patients still take the drug. On average, the patients on the drug relapsed after nearly eight months, Flaherty says. That's because the tumors develop ways to subvert the effects of PLX4032.
The results add to other recent good news. In the Aug. 19 NEJM, scientists reported that an experimental drug, ipilimumab, seems to extend survival in metastatic melanoma patients. And a 2008 study found that melanomas linked to the less common c-kit mutation were susceptible to the leukemia drug Gleevec.

COPYRIGHT 2010 Science Service, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2010 Gale, Cengage Learning. 

FIGHTER'S WIN!!!

                   

Making the best of it all, Carolyn using her new wheelchair in Boston! 

This past week Carolyn spent 4 days in Boston.  She was given several tests to determine her strength and ability to undergo treatment.  She passed them all and we are so happy that she will be starting treatment on Tuesday the 17th!!!  She has gotten a wheel chair and it has provided to be very helpful for her to reserve energy.   She is able to walk on her own,  just not all day long.  There was a lot of walking throughout the hospital and to and from hotel room.  Someone from The Department of Homeland Security stopped her on the sidewalk and comped her 2 tickets to the Celtics/ Bulls game and she was able to enjoy some of the game! 

I wanted to share a comment that was posted on the fundraiser board.  While everyone has showed so much support I felt like this particular quote provided a good summery for the current situation.

"...... I had the privilege to work along side Carolyn and she was such a hard worker.  She always made me laugh, no matter what mood she was in.  This makes me feel very sad BUT you are a FIGHTER Carolyn, and FIGHTERS WIN!  Don't ever give up hope we are all here for you and we love you! "  ~ anonymous

Please continue to check blog for updates.  This will be a big week, I am hoping and praying that Carolyn's body accepts treatment, bringing a smooth transition to healing.  

To Boston.. To Boston...

Little Sisters by Currier and Ives  

This is one of Carolyn's favorites. 

Carolyn would like to Thank everyone for their prayers and support.   She is overjoyed!  She wants everyone to know that she is going to kick cancer's a**!!!  In the meantime, she has asked that family and friends check into the blog for updates on her condition and treatment status.   Too many incoming calls are not allowing her to relax.   She has asked that you contact me for messages or her home address to send a note in the mail.   I will try to update the blog as much as possible.  


This week Carolyn will go to Boston on Tuesday for a day of testing, then return home.  We are expecting her to start treatment at the end of the week.  She will travel to Boston for a few days every week for treatment then return home.  She is starting a 4- 6 week course of medication combined with and MEK inhibitor.  And results should be seen fairly soon.  For her particular cancer, Chemo only has a 5 % cure rate.  She is in the BEST hands in Boston, her Doctor is very cutting edge, aggressive and progressive.  She will be at Mass General Hospital in the Melanoma Center.  In an ideal situation, after Carolyn's treatment in Boston, she will travel to the National Cancer Institute in Maryland to participate in clinical trials.  That is the ideal, she has several markers she must meet to qualify for these trials.  We are far from that at this point but that is the goal.


In the past two week, they have managed to get Carolyn's pain and vomiting under control.  While she is still tired, it is good to see her feeling better and spending quality time with Nora.  She is on a very strict diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, fish, and some chicken.  She has also started juicing and is drinking fresh juice several days a week.  


Thank you all for your continued support, have a beautiful week!!! 

Gratitude

My heart is filled with gratitude.  Thank you all for the outpouring of love, support, prayer, and gifts that have come our way.  I am overwhelmed by the response.   Just over 24 hours ago I launched an online fundraiser for my sister Carolyn, I had no idea it would be so successful.  In just one day it has far exceeded my dreams.  I want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for their generosity. 


Please feel free to continue sharing the fundraising information with your friends and family.  


http://www.indiegogo.com/Carolyn-Gifford-Brennan-Fundraiser


Thank You!!

My Beautiful Sister.....

This is my beautiful sister, Carolyn Gifford Brennan 34, and her 6 year old daughter Nora.  My sister was recently diagnosed with Stage IV Metastasized Melanoma with BRAF  mutation V600E.  This blog is dedicated to her and her fight against cancer.  It will serve as a place for family and friends to get updates on her treatment and success, as well as a safe place to share emotions about how it feels to have someone you love fighting for their life.