IL-2 - Check!

Madeleine’s Blog

August 31, 2013

So do not fear, for I am with you

Do not be dismayed, for I am your God

I will strengthen you and help you

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand

Isaiah 41:10

So glad to be heading this direction!

Whew! Madeleine has now finished her last dose of IL-2 and is ready to work on her recovery! She made it through 5 doses, but her lungs were beginning to get fluid in them, so it was time to stop. She is short of breath when she tries to get up, and is still experiencing several of the side effects from the medications she's received.

Now it's time to recover and get stronger again. The doctors expect that her counts will start to come back up some time around Thursday, and that should also help with how she feels. Her general "puffiness" from the IL-2 should begin to go away, as well as the redness of her skin and other lingering side effects.

We are just glad that she has made it safely through the treatment! The doctors are very pleased with how she did. It be will nice to be able to come home again, but that is still a way off. She is not scheduled to be ready to travel home until September 12th, which will mean a long time of recovery in the hospital.

Please continue to pray that the TIL cells she received would go after every cell of the melanoma, and that she would be completely healed.