Wes's Fight Against Melanoma
Donation protected
Wes had a knot taken out from under his birthmark August 13, 2014. He found out August 18, 2014 that it was melanoma. Wes was referred to Duke Hospital in Durham. We went to Duke on August 29th, 2014 and had a FNA biopsy on a lymph node beside his hip and a small lesion on his shoulder. Both were melanoma- Wes is in stage 4.
Wes went back to Duke, September 11th and 12th for a PET/CT, and brain MRI. Scans showed metastasis in the liver and small unclassified lesions in his lungs. Waited on insurance to approve treatment. Yervoy was a 90 minute infusion, it was suppose to rev up the T cells to attack the cancer cells.
First yervoy treatment 10-10-14.
Second yervoy treatment 10-31-14.
Third yervoy treatment 11-21-14.
Fourth yervoy treatment 12-12-14
Scans yervoy treatment 12-19-14
Yervoy Treatments were ineffective.
He had Proleukin (IL2) the week of Jan 5th and the week of Jan 26th, 2015. Another treatment used to rev up the T cells.
That was tough, it made Wes really sick.
Scans Feb 20th showed mixed results but basically ineffective.
He had his first round of Opdiva March 4th, second March 20th, third April 3rd and fourth April 17th. Scans on May 1, showed no response and lesions had grown. (This was the last treatment that was FDA approved to rev up the T cells to fight and kill the cancer.)
We were told that there was nothing else Duke Hospital could do for him. Wes's doctor mentioned a trial study at NCI in Maryland called the TIL study. This study would involve removal of tumors to pull healthy fighting T cells out to be grown in a lab to great numbers. Once that happens you undergo Chemo for a week to knock your immune system down. At the end of that week all the T cells will be infused back into your body and be given Proleukin (IL2) to help ramp up the T cells. The new and improved T cells will do the job their intended to do and kill the cancer.
Recovery time is one or two weeks. Four weeks total staying in the hospital. It has a 50% response rate.
We came home with information, prayed and talked about it, then prayed some more. Wes called his doctor back at Duke the following week and had him to refer him for the study. May 18-19, we went to Maryland for scans and consultation. Doctors called May 22 to inform us, that Wes was approved for the study. We went back up June 1st for the tumor removal, should have only been there for three days. Wes was not able to lay flat for the MRI. Doctors needed this scan for the tumor removal. Doctors finally gave him steroids that helped shrink the swelling from a tumor on his spinal cord. Wes had emergency surgery the next morning to remove the tumor. Doctors were not able to use this tumor due to the steroids. Steroids weaken the T cells. Wes had to wait two weeks for the steroids to come out of his system. Went back up to Maryland June 23-25 for the tumor removals. We've waited four weeks for the T cells to grow. We head back up July 20th to get started.
Since January, Wes hurts all the time. Some days are bearable and he can walk without help. Other days, he uses a cane or walker to get around. Some days, all he can do is sleep. In the month he has been going to NCI, Wes has lost twenty pounds. He hurts so he don't feel like eating. NCI nutritionist told him to eat plenty of protein and items high in calories. she told him he could not lose anymore weight. So far he is maintaining.
Wes is 38 years young with a wife (Tracie) of 18 years (total of 26 years, we were Jr. High Sweethearts), and two sons. Austin (who just graduated from High School and is heading to College in the fall) and Dallas. The boys and I, love Wes with all our heart and are leaning upon GOD to hear our prayers and heal him. We badly want to keep Wes with us. We know Only GOD has the final say so and we also know Wes is a winner either way.
Wes has been out of work since December 2014. I (Tracie) have been with Wes through all his doctor appointments, scans and treatments. I believe that's where I should be!
Please keep our family in your prayers as we go through this journey. Thank you!
Wes went back to Duke, September 11th and 12th for a PET/CT, and brain MRI. Scans showed metastasis in the liver and small unclassified lesions in his lungs. Waited on insurance to approve treatment. Yervoy was a 90 minute infusion, it was suppose to rev up the T cells to attack the cancer cells.
First yervoy treatment 10-10-14.
Second yervoy treatment 10-31-14.
Third yervoy treatment 11-21-14.
Fourth yervoy treatment 12-12-14
Scans yervoy treatment 12-19-14
Yervoy Treatments were ineffective.
He had Proleukin (IL2) the week of Jan 5th and the week of Jan 26th, 2015. Another treatment used to rev up the T cells.
That was tough, it made Wes really sick.
Scans Feb 20th showed mixed results but basically ineffective.
He had his first round of Opdiva March 4th, second March 20th, third April 3rd and fourth April 17th. Scans on May 1, showed no response and lesions had grown. (This was the last treatment that was FDA approved to rev up the T cells to fight and kill the cancer.)
We were told that there was nothing else Duke Hospital could do for him. Wes's doctor mentioned a trial study at NCI in Maryland called the TIL study. This study would involve removal of tumors to pull healthy fighting T cells out to be grown in a lab to great numbers. Once that happens you undergo Chemo for a week to knock your immune system down. At the end of that week all the T cells will be infused back into your body and be given Proleukin (IL2) to help ramp up the T cells. The new and improved T cells will do the job their intended to do and kill the cancer.
Recovery time is one or two weeks. Four weeks total staying in the hospital. It has a 50% response rate.
We came home with information, prayed and talked about it, then prayed some more. Wes called his doctor back at Duke the following week and had him to refer him for the study. May 18-19, we went to Maryland for scans and consultation. Doctors called May 22 to inform us, that Wes was approved for the study. We went back up June 1st for the tumor removal, should have only been there for three days. Wes was not able to lay flat for the MRI. Doctors needed this scan for the tumor removal. Doctors finally gave him steroids that helped shrink the swelling from a tumor on his spinal cord. Wes had emergency surgery the next morning to remove the tumor. Doctors were not able to use this tumor due to the steroids. Steroids weaken the T cells. Wes had to wait two weeks for the steroids to come out of his system. Went back up to Maryland June 23-25 for the tumor removals. We've waited four weeks for the T cells to grow. We head back up July 20th to get started.
Since January, Wes hurts all the time. Some days are bearable and he can walk without help. Other days, he uses a cane or walker to get around. Some days, all he can do is sleep. In the month he has been going to NCI, Wes has lost twenty pounds. He hurts so he don't feel like eating. NCI nutritionist told him to eat plenty of protein and items high in calories. she told him he could not lose anymore weight. So far he is maintaining.
Wes is 38 years young with a wife (Tracie) of 18 years (total of 26 years, we were Jr. High Sweethearts), and two sons. Austin (who just graduated from High School and is heading to College in the fall) and Dallas. The boys and I, love Wes with all our heart and are leaning upon GOD to hear our prayers and heal him. We badly want to keep Wes with us. We know Only GOD has the final say so and we also know Wes is a winner either way.
Wes has been out of work since December 2014. I (Tracie) have been with Wes through all his doctor appointments, scans and treatments. I believe that's where I should be!
Please keep our family in your prayers as we go through this journey. Thank you!
Organizer
Wes McGuire
Organizer
Connelly Springs, NC