Category Archives: Updates

Jeff is now 3 doses, or halfway, through the dreaded Interleukin 2 (IL-2). It has made him feel terrible. We expected this, but it is still difficult to go through. According to the doctors and nurses he is actually doing better than most patients do on this drug, so despite the chills and fever heContinue reading “Under siege”

After several days of recovery, I’m about 95% improved from where I was this past weekend. The last 5% deficit may be because I can’t leave this floor, and the edges are rounded off by the endless amount of “preparatory” Tylenol they have me on. At least I have a view! I received my “TIL”Continue reading “TIL with a View”

Dear friends and family, Today was mostly unremarkable, which is not normally newsworthy but given the last update a boring day is a very good thing. Jeff is improving and his speech is much better. We met the new principal investigator, which is the doctor who is running the trial (it has changed; the previousContinue reading “A wonderfully boring day”

Dear friends and family, We arrived in New York on Wednesday afternoon and had a night to settle in and get Jeff’s COVID test, and then came back Thursday for a surgical procedure to place his Hickman catheter. He was checked into the hospital starting Thursday night. We learned both on Thursday waiting for theContinue reading “Complications on Day 2”

Hello everyone! Below is an update for those interested in some of the details of my melanoma trial. After a long wait and much preparation, tomorrow Arianna and I will be heading up to the Memorial Sloan Kettering hospital in Manhattan (1275 York Avenue). I’ll be admitted to the hospital on the 19th, and willContinue reading “Trial Update….Watching the clock”

Family and Friends – it has been almost three years since we’ve sent out any formal information on my struggle with melanoma.  As discussed in earlier posts, in 2019 I was diagnosed with Stage 3, and was starting immunotherapy. During 2020 and most of 2021 I had a fairly long and wonderful period of timeContinue reading “Long Overdue, Newsworthy Update!!”

Last week Jeff visited three oncologists at different institutions in order to get multiple opinions on treatments. Based on these meetings, two out of three doctors recommend starting immunotherapy due to a 30% risk of recurrence, while the other recommended monitoring with scans and frequent blood/skin checks. Our decision on whether to use immunotherapy hadContinue reading “Treatment decisions”

Hello Friends and Family, On December 4, 2019 (his 37th birthday) Jeff was diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer after a visit to the dermatologist for an irregular mole. On December 20 he had surgery to excise the melanoma and area around it, and remove the sentinel lymph nodes. Surgery went well and as of JanuaryContinue reading “From diagnosis to today”