heading for the next treatment phase... thanks to you
by Kyle & Vanessa on 11/24/12
It's been a long time since we have had the energy or the presence of mind to bring you up to date with our news. But first, we want to thank each and every one of you who have supported us over the last while... your donations and contributions to the beat it draw have made it possible for the next leg of our journey to be an imminent reality, and from the bottom of our hearts, we thank you very, very much.
As before, we are continuing to research and make contact with medical facilities within and outside North America to indentify treatments that may be successful in reducing Kyle's tumours and allowing us to gain control of his disease. During this time, Kyle has also continued visits to his doctors and other health practitioners here in Toronto almost daily for whatever medical treatment has been available to him, and for help to manage his pain, which has been steadily increasing and becoming unbearable. He has continued use with Votrient, the targeted therapy he began using nearly two months ago, however we received some news last week that slight tumour growth was present on a recent CT scan. Further tests were done last week and we will know more once we see Dr. Blackstein on Tuesday for a follow up and review of the scans.
For a number of reasons, we have determined that travelling to Germany to seek treatment with Dr. Lentz is not possible at this time, although we are still considering it for the longer term. As I mentioned before, the tumours in Kyle's lungs make air travel impossible (all of the oncologists and surgeons we have spoken with agree it would not be safe for Kyle), and a 10-day voyage by sea and rail would just be too difficult and taxing when his immune system is not strong at this time. Also, we discovered the ship schedules to Europe are very limited during the winter months, so this trip would be far more feasible to be made in the spring.
We recently became aware of the Immune Augmentation Therapy (IAT) Clinic in Freeport, Bahamas, through a friend of a family member, who just recently underwent his own battle with cancer. Though he has a different type of cancer than Kyle, his disease was quite aggressive. He spoke about the doctors and the IAT facility with a very high regard and particularly recommended his doctor, Dr. Kevin Bethel, a Canadian-trained medical doctor who has been practicing in the Bahamas and doing research specifically in treating cancer through immunology.
After reviewing Kyle's history and records, Dr. Bethel has recommended that Kyle start a protocol with him immediately, which will include Coley's Toxins as well as a number of other treatments that will focus on building Kyle's immune system so that his body can play an active role in fighting his disease. There are minimal side effects to the treatment, although he will likely feel feverish and flu like symptoms as a result of the Coley's. Some promising research and studies have been conducted with Coley's and sarcoma. Although it was developed in the United states and is actually manufactured in Canada, the treatment is not approved by Health Canada or the FDA to be administered in North America. (for more information on Coley's Toxins and sarcoma, click here) Since there are minimal side effects, Dr. Bethel believes Kyle could continue use with Votrient if it proves to show some effectiveness in the scans that will be reviewed next week.
We will be making final arrangements on Monday with the IAT clinic, and plan to leave Toronto on Friday to travel to Freeport. We'll drive, with Kyle's Dad, Kevin to Fort Lauderdale, FL and then take a three-hour ferry from there to the clinic. We're aiming to arrive in Freeport by December 5th and start treatments right away.
This has been a huge decision for us, but it's necessary to begin new treatment as soon as possible, especially with the recent news of tumour growth. From the research we've done, the recommendations we've received and the discussions with Dr. Bethel, we feel this is the best course of action right now.
Again, we want to thank you all for your kind thoughts and prayers, and your most generous support. We will write again as soon as we can.
With love, K&V
