Yesterday, we went to Indy for a follow-up with the pain specialists and a check-in with Dr. S. The pain dr was very very happy with her healing. The pump has almost completely taken away all of her back and leg pain. She has pain from the incisions from her surgery, but that’s normal and will fade soon as she continues to heal. It was a quick appointment.

Next, we met with Dr. S. and he examined her tumor and breast area. He was worried about some skin abnormalities which seem to be surfacing over the tumor. Also, the tumor itself is a little bit bigger. He knew right away that the trial drug has been ineffective. He doesn’t want to wait another 30 days to confirm what he already knows about the failure of the trial drug. So, he recommended that she discontinue the trial and try a different form of chemotherapy (doxil). It was disappointing news but we were ok with it. Everyone is kind of frustrated right now including Dr. S. We want to find something that works.

We also see this as an opportunity to visit another hospital for an overall second opinion. She will forego chemo for a couple of weeks while we travel and seek another option. We’ve settled on Dana Farber in Boston for that option. They are excellent for many reasons, and they are probably the best there is for young women with metastatic breast cancer specifically.

I spoke to Dr. S. tonight on the phone, and he is all for supporting us as we travel and explore options. Ultimately, I expect to hear Dana Farber echo what we have heard from Dr. S. Assuming they don’t have something earth-shattering for her to try, we’ll be returning to IU Cancer Clinic for the chemo.

I’ll be back in NC this Thursday, and Lori will be in IL again with the kids the same day. We don’t have an appointment yet at Dana Farber but I’m expecting it to be sometime around 21 July.