More hope, yes thank you, immunotherapy time is coming

At the technology/Future Ready Conference on
Friday. Had to wear my shirt to show that I'm
balanced between technology and print materials.

So, something happened today that should have occurred four months ago. But I've accepted that we're simply here now.
I saw my new oncologist today.
Got very clear, honest opinions from her. Received hope, hope, hope.
My husband and I walked away saying, "Yes, this is what we need."
Shall see about that one immunotherapy drug that connects to my biopsy/Foundation I testing. It might take some time to get approval for it. My new oncologist is willing to have me get that still. BUT she's working now on getting me on what I wanted to get on 4 months ago: Nivolumab. An immunotherapy drug. It is the one that is in a phase II study for metastatic cervical cancer patients.
 http://www.chemocare.com/chemotherapy/drug-info/Nivolumab.aspx
https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/clinical-trials/15-116
She wants me off of Avastin. Said that it isn't really viable on its own and she doesn't find a need for it in conjunction with Nivolumab. I'm honestly thrilled with that.

I am hopeful.
I am grateful.
I am relieved.

Avastin with blue planes? afterwards. The nurse got
a lecture from me and was much more careful and
aware of what went wrong with our last session.
She used a heating pad and did the "drip" on a
different vein. No new bruises, phew. 

My brain MRI led to nothing new (thank goodness!)
My PET scan led to not too much new, although apparently I had some time of a rib fracture on my right side?! Odd information but makes sense where I was hurting for around 3 months on my right side after surgery last August. Apparently there's something that lit up on that side but shall see. My oncologist was not concerned. It wasn't highlighted as a concern.

I'm hopeful.

I do have to go and get the endoscopy on Thursday. Shall see about pain afterwards. Not thrilled. Shall see if the stint is put in. The gastro-enterologist is concerned about the fact that I got Avastin last Friday. He's not sure if I will heal well if there is any cuts internally. Shall see what he decides. I just want to swallow consistently again. I'm on Prilosec which seems to have eased some things in the morning a tiny bit- less throwing up incidents, but still having issues overall. Getting food in as much as I can but I'm now down to 118, sigh. At least it isn't more, I guess.

Bridge on our way back home on Hwy 101.

Friday was a bit busy with a tech conference, a chat with my oncologist during one break, Avastin treatment, and then meeting up for a carpool down to Coos Bay. My friend and I chatted all four hours on our way to Coos Bay, so wonderful... The doctors on Thursday had looked at me with raised eyebrows when they heard my plans for the weekend but I had faith that I'd planned things out well enough, and I think I had... I actually was able to get to the conference in Coos Bay and present on Saturday. I took a lot of breaks that day but really enjoyed every minute possible. Loved meeting up with educator/school library colleagues from around Oregon and also some beautiful, inspiring author friends as well. So many wonderful hugs exchanged, filled me with such happiness... Overwhelming a little bit, but in a good way. Sunday I slept and rested and rode home with my lovely friend who was fine with a quieter Debbie and an audiobook.

So... getting thru the days. Looking forward to a few non-medical, more work focused days. Hooray for them.

Thanks as always for journeying with me.
Here's to hope.

I loved seeing this blooming still...

Birthday and Pacing Myself

Lovely yoga time with my friend.
Special entrance to the fitness club.

Well. Already wrote this post and everything was lost... rewriting is a little brief.
Days have flown by.

Birthday treat.

I'm alive.
I'm swallowing food, mostly, mornings are hard but by dinner I'm doing better. Couldn't swallow my supplements this morning.
Today was a little challenging.
My body reminded me to stop. right. now. today when I went to a conference.
I enjoyed a morning workshop, presented about creating a reading classroom community and booktalked 70+ books in 55 minutes, and then I enjoyed watching wonderful authors receive book awards and share wonderful thoughts... After an hour, sitting in a chair was not agreeing with me. Very frustrating. I got up while the keynote speaker shared. No resolving pain or exhaustion. Went and found a couch on the other side of the building. Laid down. Took about an hour to feel ok. A catering staff person brought me water. Another person asked if they could call anyone. Then they gave me lunch early... I ate a little bit and felt a tiny bit better.

Special birthday flowers from a friend.

Special birthday flowers from family.

Went and said hi to a few beloved authors and quickly got in my car and drove home. Felt strong enough and wasn't in as much pain/exhaustion by that time. Rested pretty much the rest of the day.
Got thru the past 9 days ok. On Monday I saw a genetic counselor (mostly a waste of my time, useful for my family hopefully) and also my naturopathic dr. He didn't have much to suggest for me with the swallowing and such, just wants me to get to another oncologist to get a second opinion, that's happening in a few weeks.
Enjoyed work even with training interruptions. Appreciating not just being a cancer patient there. I'm a valued staff member. Most of my coworkers know how I am with the medical situation but they don't dig too much, just a good caring group. Love that kids are smiling when I come in the room now to teach... Also appreciated a birthday serenade from a class of first graders- good friend made sure people knew it was by birthday... I shared it with anyone I was walking around with, never been one to be quiet about celebrating my birthday.

Birthday dinner time with my love.

Enjoyed family dinner time. Went to Pastini's and actually ate everything on my plate. Including tiramisu cake...
The next week is full of medical stuff.
I'm seeing a radiation specialist on Tuesday and Thursday I see a gastro-enterologist and oncologist. Then Friday I get Avastin again.
Still learning how to read my body and be patient with myself... since my body seems to be changing, I feel a bit unpredictable.

Love my present from a former student who runs Cranes of Hope.
Lovely blessing for my car.

Thanks for journeying with me as always...

Gettin' along

Buzzy smiling bees this time!

Well.
Been a over a week.
Doing better now.
Harsh lesson.
Don't be stubborn.
Don't be stoic.
If you are nauseaus and feeling shaky/weak for many days, something is wrong. Waiting just one more day to see if it goes away isn't wise at all.
I went after 8 days feeling terrible to the doctor.
She lectured me about simply calling and getting advice at least.
She told me that I needed to even email if I need help.
Sigh.
I know this.
I'm capable of asking for help.
Do I do so? Sometimes? NO. I'm darn stubborn.

So, anti-nausea medicine is a godsend when needed. As is cough medicine when needed.

I'm actually sleeping ok and stomach isn't terrible- it doesn't love anti-nausea meds but that's life.
Pain is actually ok overall. Sort of like arthritis pain in my chest and back. I can deal with it and if I'm hurting? Tylenol has simply been enough in the past days.

My dr. thinks I might have heartburn so we're trying a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar at night to see if that will help me.

Also drinking warm happy lemon water with honey thru the day to help my throat out.

Chemo/Avastin went ok. Bruise from the needle looks hideous. Thank goodness it is long sleeve weather. Shall bring up what happened next time. Harumph. Haven't had a bruise like this in a long time and I honestly know exactly what went wrong.

My sweet snuggler

My dog is doing ok. She's gettin' along and snuggling with us like the beautiful soul she is.
My kiddo is settling into school ok overall. Grateful.
My husband is dealing with many job interviews. We have hope.
Birthdays are upon us. Husband's is first, which he really doesn't want to celebrate much.
Then mine next Friday. I'm all about saying HELL YEAH I'M STILL HERE AND LOVING LIFE!!! Here's to turning 42 without chemo or a hysterectomy on my birthday. Seriously. I'll take a peaceful, happy birthday. Enough already with the drama.

Feeling stronger on my end. I wrote my 1000th blog post on my Styling Librarian site. Feeling accomplished. Happy with what I do there.
Tired and know I am grateful for where I'm at...
Found a new massage therapist who specializes in cancer patients- pre/post/fighting, etc. She's lovely and likes essential oils, hooray.

New massage place

Appreciate the naturopathic dr. I found and the 20 mg. of Melatonin he prescribed me. Sleeping so much better than the past few years.
Enjoyed a new qi gong instructor and look forward to another class with her.

Grateful for my mom's support at chemo.
First time she could come with me.

My acupunturist said tonight, you're really getting your healthy ducks sorted out!
I also met with a Breast Friends support group. Lovely women. Good talk. Appreciated them telling me about the Dougie Center. http://www.dougy.org/  Not that we're dealing with death but they also deal with children who are affected by severe illnesses. Nice to know a resource, not that we find a need at the moment, but good to know it is there.

Still waiting on Foundation 1 testing on my tumor sample. I waited 3 weeks and then emailed since I was frustrated... they said they'd send when they knew anything.

Can't believe we've been home over 11 weeks and I'm not on anything I was hoping to be on. I'm happy I'm doing Mannatech and I have faith that it is helping heal my immune system, but man I'm annoyed with delays here in the US.

Hope everyone is gettin' along and finds those moments of joy all over their days!
Thanks for journeying with me...

Favorite book arrived from Hong Kong

A Sliver of Me and The Journey

Look! My hair is growing out more! :)
This was a few days ago when I had more stamina...

It has been a little while since I journaled... getting thru the days.
The past four days have been rough and frustrating. I've felt nauseated, low appetite, weak, tired, fatigued, and more... and have gotten thru the days best I can. I think this is all due to being off pain medication. Could be a side effect of Avastin as well... It is disturbing how much this pain medication has masked symptoms. I am tempted to go back on the pain medication but it is frustrating since I have to switch to the US brand which is capsules vs. pills so I can't split them in 1/2. Hmm. Going to try to ride out for a few more days. Shall see.
Last week I met with a new Naturopath Dr. Appreciated the visit with him. He had sensible suggestions. Appreciated getting off some supplements that were redundant/not necessary. So many darn supplements to swallow every day. He increased my intake of a fermented mushroom mycelia extract that helps Avastin work better. He also has me taking Melatonin at night- it is really working. I take Melatonin and then do qigong. I also am taking more curcumin. He calls this the emperor of my anti-cancer herbs. He also recommended three new possible oncologists for me. Will be looking into them soon.
Avastin is due again this Friday. Meh. At least I am getting it done closer to home. Less travel time afterwards.
Visited with my acupuncturist recently as well. Appreciated her insight. Calming. She suggested I start doing qigong at night and that's just what I needed to do... I've been consistently doing qigong every night now which is a relief. I know I want to do more but it is ok for now. I'm also going to my first official class soon. Hooray for that...

Place I went today so my kiddo could do a "Mud Run" with the Cub Scouts... kiddo was thrilled. I found this bit peaceful.

Ok, it has been a month since I participated in The Journey experience. I have not made time to reflect on it beyond thinking about it... yet. So, now is a good time I suppose. 
So, one thing about The Journey is reaching into your past and dealing with issues... addressing conflict, to help you heal in whatever way you need. Help your cells heal from old wounds per se. I found this to be quite intriguing, so I went on the process to address my past. And peeled layer after emotional layer and then addressed all the layers one at a time. Sure, this doesn't resolve my issues overall but I appreciated the process. The journey practitioner took notes as I went thru the hour of the journey with her. Here are most of them:
Dear Debbie,

Here are some notes from your wonderful Journey process:

First the emotions, I addressed each one...

Emotional Layer What Source said to it

Sadness “I trust that I need to be sad sometimes.”

Loneliness “Embrace those lonely days. They are still good days, too.”

Sadness “Don’t suppress it.”

Loss “You still have good memories.”

Fear “There is a way around it.”

Anger at being left alone “Embrace it.”

Feeling unloved “You are loved.”

Loneliness “It is good to be alone.”

Lack of trust “It is not necessary.”

Anger at not being listened to “Not worth it.”

Anger that is like depression “Cool off.”

Doubt “Trust yourself.”

Failure “Not worth feeling the guilt.”

Going thru the journey revealed that my ultimate "happy" moments are with my 5 year old self at my "core" where I feel joy... that was interesting since I can barely remember anything from my childhood...

Happiness, the 5 year old you = your experience of Source

After I addressed emotions I went to my "campfire" to address my 12 year old me- when things seemed to have some tumultous memories... I was asked to call on a mentor to provide words of wisdom to my 12 year old me... so this is what came out of me:

Campfire

Your mentor’s words of wisdom for the younger 12 year old you: “Practice more forgiveness. Let go of anger. Speak up when you are uncomfortable. Learn to use your own voice. Don’t hide your feelings. You don’t need to be passive. You can be strong.”

Your mentor’s words of wisdom for the present you: “Be patient. Be kind to yourself. Trust others more. Appreciate the time you have with people.”

Final words of wisdom from mentor: “Trust your gut.”

I was asked to look towards the future. (I dreaded this because thinking about the future sort of sucks in my opinion most of the time. A fact with me as a cancer patient... I've read the book- The Journey by Brandon Bays and knew everything that was coming through this process) Here's what I thought:

Future Pace

1 day: You feel happy.

1 week: Feeling confident, trusting.

1 month: Issue disappearing.

6 months: Issue lessening. Happy, optimistic.

1 year: Proud of yourself. Issue gone.

5 years: Grateful for every minute I am alive! Confident.

Well.
It was an interesting process.
I'm not sure if I'm sharing too much of myself here but... that's part of my journaling, so be it.

The practitioner had these questions as follow up a few weeks after the process occurred:

1. How do you feel the Journey has affected your life, regarding your intention or issue?

The Journey helped me confirm what I was concerned about addressing and dealing with... it helped me refocus my energy/intention on positive moments and celebrating life.  I'm not necessarily sure how it has helped my issue but I know over the past month I'm sleeping a bit better and am able to walk away from frustrating situations in a smoother fashion.

2. Since we last communicated have you noticed any other, possibly unexpected changes in the way your body functions?

• Eye sight
• Eating habits
• Digestive functions
• Stamina
• Energy level
• Breathing patterns

Digestive functions have become better.

I brought qigong back into my daily routine which has helped my breathing patterns immensely.
I haven't seen as much of a change in my eating habits... 

Eye sight isn't much of an issue besides needing sleep more often than not and my eyes being tired from such.

Energy level had been increasing but I've been dealing with some ailments recently that have lowered my energy quite a bit...
I'm sleeping more/slightly better than I have in ages.

3. Since then have you experienced any physical or emotional symptoms of detoxification or release?
I was a bit more emotional over the past month and allowed myself to experience emotions, to not hold back tears, etc. It was a relief to allow myself to cry and release. It was also good to address other emotions as they hit me. I was much more emotional when I had acupuncture than I had been in the past and appreciated that detox.

 

4. Have you noticed any other changes in your emotional experiences? Perhaps in the way you typically react to challenging situations? Possibly in the way you feel about challenging people, or people close to you?

Not too much. I've always been pretty neutral dealing with challenging situations but I did switch to breathing deeply recently when dealing with some frustrating online issues and reminded myself that over the course of a week what was happening wouldn't be that important. I haven't really challenged people close to me as of yet... I'm simply making sure I'm trying my best to communicate my feelings and what I'm thinking and not letting anything get bottled up.

 

5. Is there anything else you would like to share?
Grateful for the journey. I'm looking forward to trying out The Journey process with a friend in a recipriocal fashion in a few weeks. It is cathartic and helpful for dealing with life... Thank you!

So.

That is my recap of experiencing The Journey.

It was interesting.

Certainly brought up some issues. 

L'Shanah Tova, Happy New Year, to my friends celebrating. I'm approaching this new year with as positive an attitude as I can have and doing my best to celebrate what I'm able to do, not look at what my limits are holding me back from and just enjoying life. 

Thanks as always for journeying with me...

Taking my time

Now I bought a little bit... think it would be quite bitter for juicing.
Must use soon! Must find a way to use this! :)

Well. I'm done with chemo for the first time in the US. So Debbie, what's different? Not too much.
1. Avastin only. It provides me hope. A little bit. Until I can get some type of immunotherapy- no I'm not giving up. If you didn't notice by now, I'm a pretty persistent bugger. :)
2. They are not only vampires collecting my blood at the beginning of a treatment, they also enjoy collecting urine. Seriously, what's with the urine collection? Every time? After insurance not covering any of those tests for over a year, I have this foreboding feeling when they are administered now... but I honestly was reassured to have a blood test after 2 months free of them.
3. They take stinking FOREVER. Seriously. Even though I had a wonderful companion (thank you Joyce, so grateful) with me who helped me be distracted, it took over 1 1/2 hours to get going and administer the Avastin. Avastin only takes 30 minutes and doesn't need any pre/post drugs (hooray!) and so the time it took for everything else really was dreadfully long in comparison to Hong Kong. Made me appreciate that private clinic that had a blood lab and pharmacy right there taking care of everything efficiently.
4. They didn't poke me twice. Seriously. I found this to be so pleasant (as pleasant as getting a needle in your arm can be...) so pleasant to be set up with the needle in my vein and a blood draw from there vs. an initial blood draw in another location. Hmm.
5. The US does a cheaper set up with the needle. I don't mind it. Just different. Less firm. Do you notice? Seriously, dinosaur bandage. And when they finished and pulled the needle out they gave me a pink heart bandage. Hah. I'll be entertained. One nurse said, "Oh, we only use the special ones for you guys." Ok. Made me chuckle...

Laughing about the dinosaurs...

6. 3 weeks in between is going to be an adjustment. Not complaining. Annoyed that I have to go a day or so before to talk about how I'm feeling when an email would simply do. I did talk with the nurse about that yesterday. Waiting to find out about location/next appointment, etc...
7. Side effects? I'm stinking moody. I wondered today why I was so low and I've decided... Avastin. I also am having terrible sleep and am off from that. Starting a new job and that learning curve of meeting new people is also something that throws me off. I have a few friends at the new school but there's just so much darn "unknown" that's in my life at the moment... working on smiling. Going to get up earlier so I can do qi gong each morning to lighten my mood. It worked before!
8. Other side effects? Meh. My poor stomach. It is not happy. At all. But it isn't too scary. Shall see. Also I noticed a tiny nose bleed on Monday but nothing since... I'm still having those annoying hot flashes (I know they're NOTHING in comparison to what my friends go thru)... thank goodness for layers. Grateful I'm not getting to the fainting stage. Watching and pacing myself carefully.

I'm a little distracted with work. Have a feeling that my posts might be stretched out and then on chemo weeks I will share more...
Here's what I've found useful/fascinating lately online:

I liked this yoga routine- one you can do in bed, going to try it out, so simple and easy:
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-21395/a-relaxing-yoga-sequence-you-can-do-in-bed.html?utm_source=mbg&utm_medium=email&utm_content=daily&utm_campaign=150831-a-relaxing-yoga-sequence-you-can-do-in-bed

Appreciated watching this 60 Minutes report, my mom shared- thanks as always mom:
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/using-polio-to-kill-cancer-60-minutes/
Using Polio to kill cancer- what a fascinating possibility this is. I watched 3 videos through this link.

Hope for the future: messing around with MicroRNAs:
http://m.dailykos.com/story/2015/08/27/1416021/-Breakthrough-in-cancer-research-Off-switch-on-cancer-cells-may-have-been-found?detail=facebook

Hmm, this is quite the claim:
http://www.healthyfoodhouse.com/amazing-herb-kills-cancer-cells-in-just-16-hours/
Hmm.

Thanks as always for journeying with me...

Oh, hi chemo, you again?

Multnomah Falls behind... carefully paced myself with this walk.

I've had a few very full, good days.
Meeting with new administration made me happy and grateful for support and faith in my abilities... Having time with family replenishes my energy.
Meeting up with families I treasured at my old school and seeing how much my former students have grown was special...
Going to the beautiful waterfalls at the Columbia Gorge was fun...
Meeting old and new colleagues for the future was wonderful...

Going to see my oncologist today was... mediocre. He very thoughtfully answered all my questions and clarified the situation at hand. "I hope you can understand, we're at the end of our options with treatment for you at this point." He is going ahead with Foundation 1 testing that I know needs to be done using the cells from the biopsy.
He wasn't thrilled with my question about off-label prescription of an immunotherapy drug but I'll be patient as I know Foundation 1 testing needs to happen to see about targeted therapy. He mentioned that having one patient getting a trial drug is not something he'd recommend. I say? Tough. I want to try. So, shall see...

Our sweet 15 year old dog Dulcie and I chilled out while
the guys went on with the hike... She was happy when her dad returned.

He also decided that we should begin chemo again, but not the scary kind that makes me lose my hair or decreases my white blood cells...
It is Avastin, chemo that is what he calls "single agent" to slow the progression rate of my tumors.
It does have side effects, hard for me to really know how I'll react since before when I had three chemo drugs being pumped into me there were so many side effects. I know I had a bloody nose. I know I didn't heal as well with scratches and such. There's loads of side effects listed on the website- http://www.avastin.com/patient

We talked with him about WHEN to have the Avastin begin and he said "Now"... So, tomorrow I begin. I'll get Avastin once every three weeks. It will take two hours or so vs. 4-6-8 hours of past chemo sessions. I am negotiating on time and such presently as they don't do treatment on Saturdays and I'm not thrilled with impacting work every three weeks. I also have to have a doctor check in 1-2 days before the treatment and those appointments are not available in the later afternoon. I know that most cancer patients aren't working full time and such but MEH to having to impact work hours. Shall see what happens. I'm concerned with things happening every three weeks. I looked at the calendar and at least I won't have to have chemo on my birthday.

---

Multnomah Falls is just astounding... so beautiful.

Other thoughts recently:
Reconnecting with a wonderful friend, Trudy, was beautiful and uplifting the other day. I appreciate the interesting resource she sent my way. Helpful article with some supplements that provide new ideas.
http://bottomlinepersonal.com/4-secret-cancer-fighters/

I appreciate that there's new options to help slow tumor growth, etc. Healthy living is also a bonus.

We also talked about how I was frustrated to not find support groups here in Oregon. I knew I was in a truly wonderful supportive environment in Hong Kong. Hoping to connect with people here. Trudy sent me a list of groups... Hooray, thank you again Trudy!
I find this list promising:
http://www.breastfriends.org/breast-cancer-charity/affiliates/oregon/oregon-support-groups/

I was frustrated with most groups because they meet during the daytime hour.... can't make it, but if I could, I'd attend these group meetings:
http://www.legacyhealth.org/health-services-and-information/health-services/for-adults-a-z/cancer/all-cancer-services/support-groups.aspx

http://www.cancermatters.com/portland/cancer-support-groups-2/gynecologic-cancer-support-group-2/

http://oregon.providence.org/~/media/files/providence%20or%20migrated%20pdfs/patients%20toolkit/cancer%20support%20group%20list.pdf


Also, appreciated learning about Harmony Hill- a retreat that is available to cancer fighters/thrivers/survivors: http://www.harmonyhill.org/

Alive Inside- what a beautiful inspiring movie... touching... made me cry a few times. Hooray for music and connections and respect and support... brilliant, highly recommended. Thanks to my mom for telling me about it!

Our alert Dulcie... She isn't showing side effects yet with the sarcoma.
Love our days with her. Proud of her ability to still go on family adventures!

Well, even though I'm returning to chemo, at least this time it won't be so debilitating. 

I will still be able to enjoy the days.

I'll still pay attention to my stamina.

I'll enjoy spending time with family.

I'll be able to work and settle into my new "school home"...

Thanks for journeying with me, as always...

Immunotherapy and Changes

Looking forward to our family trip to the Philippines, countdown, less than two weeks. I know I've mentioned it before but I'm so grateful that we're living in Hong Kong where amazing, beautiful places in Asia are at our fingertips at a reasonable price. We are going to meet some good friends when we get to the Philippines and hope to see whale sharks while we are there... and possibly other adventures. I'll take things day by day and not push myself, happy for my son and husband to have the adventures and for me to live vicariously.
Mentally readying myself for treatment this Friday morning, happy my son's birthday is Saturday (and that I'm able to shift chemo to Friday so I can focus on my son), and excited about the possibility of returning to work soon- very carefully. I miss that purposeful time getting up in the morning, talking with students, teaching, managing the library and more. I always feel like a useful person, don't get me wrong, but actual work makes me quite fulfilled. Will continue to take things one day at a time, stay positive, and enjoy life...
I've missed art a little bit lately, so reprioritizing that so that I keep up that the outlet. Enjoying reading still but there are many books I didn't get to during this time... not much of a surprise, my "to read" pile is always growing. I've noticed that the day or two after chemo my brain cannot concentrate on reading books too well. So, audiobooks sometimes work, and sometimes tv shows are the way to go... riding the waves and keeping my brain working the best I can.

A few friends and family have mentioned I need to look into immunotherapy for treatment. It is a hopeful, promising practice.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/billionaire-doctor-fights-cancer-in-unconventional-way/
Forbes article:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/matthewherper/2014/12/07/here-is-what-60-minutes-didnt-tell-you-about-the-billionaire-who-is-trying-to-disrupt-cancer-care/?&_suid=14181084332750052996140671893954

From a hospital website: Examples of immunotherapy drugs include interferon, IL-2 and Ipilimumab, which can be used for treating melanoma; Herceptin which can be used for some breast cancers; Erbitux, Vectibix, and Avastin which can be used to treat colo-rectal cancers and others. There are many types of immunotherapies that work by a variety of mechanisms.

I'm already on Avastin as part of my chemo regimine, so I'm already receiving one immunotherapy drug- two doses left in the next round of four. http://www.avastin.com/patient - this is the drug that has that nosebleed side effect I've commented about before. I'm quite grateful that my oncologist prescribed this as part of my regimine.
Shall see what my oncologist believes is the best course of action for long term drug treatment after I'm finished with this round of chemo and radiation treatment. I have many thoughts on this to be honest and working to stay positive. Already on Tamoxifen for deterring breast cancer from returning...

Thank you for all the support - friends and family, so grateful.