Blood Tests and Next Steps

Shawn Jr has been feeling really nauseous over the last couple of weeks.  It has been rough.  The last few days have been particularly hard.  We spoke with our PA at MD Anderson and she said it was best to have some blood tests done to see if the immunotherapy was causing problems with his organs.  We understand that sometimes immunotherapy can cause the body's own immune system to attack otherwise healthy tissue in the body.

We took Shawn to a lab yesterday and had those blood tests done.  We are awaiting those results.

Shawn Jr has several appointments next week - May 28th and 29th - at MD Anderson.  These are appointments with radiation (for potential radiation on this head and neck), a follow-up with pulmonary (checking on his lungs), a consult with Dr. Hwu in the melanoma department and his third immunotherapy treatment.  We will be headed down to Houston on Tuesday (if not before).

As of this week, Shawn is halfway through the initial 12-week immunotherapy treatment period.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

5 Years - We Miss You

Image
  It has been 5 years since Shawn Jr. died.   Some days it feels like an eternity has gone by, yet the painful memory of sitting beside Shawn's bed at MD Anderson is as vivid as if it happened yesterday. This past year has been another journey through the ebb and flow of life.   Lots of exciting things are happening in the Helms family (e.g., second grandchild coming any day, Shawn Fletcher growing up fast, younger Helms kids in real relationships, older Helms kids with real jobs and responsibilities, cheerleading, volleyball, school, etc.). I often think about how Shawn Jr. would react to the happenings of this past year had he survived his battle with melanoma.   He would be 26 years old.   He would be super excited about the growing Helms family and looking forward to meeting his new nephew.   He would be giving Noelle a hard time for living in Houston.   He would certainly be thrilled that the Texas Rangers won the World Series, Luka won an NBA...
Read more

Shawn Jr Went Home

Image
Shawn Jr left this earth at 10:56 this morning.  We were right by his side.  He was peaceful.   See information about his memorial service  here . “ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans‬ ‭8:38-39‬ ‭NIV‬‬
Read more

4 Years - Remembering The Little Things About Shawn Jr.

Image
It has been 4 years since July 11, 2019.  On this anniversary of his death, I want to take a moment to reminisce about all the things that made Shawn Jr. so special.  When remembering Shawn, it's funny how the big milestones are not nearly as important as the small things.  It's the little things, the everyday moments, that made him who he was.  As I sit down to write this blog post, I find myself smiling at the memories of him.  I was thinking about his quirky jokes, subtle gestures, infectious smile, and everyday preferences that defined him and made him such an amazing and likable person.  Below is a list of things that his family and friends remember about him.  It’s funny how he didn’t really change but related to all of us in a different way and how we all cherish his memory through our own unique lens.  I will admit, some of these aspects don’t register with me the way they do others.  But, all of these recollections give our collectiv...
Read more