Second cycle completed.

The last three days of the second cycle were difficult. Not because of any side effects of the drug but because of the tapering off of prednisone. I got down to 12.5mg and my body starting complaining loudly. Joint and muscle pain and flu-like symptoms where everything hurt.
I've gone back up to my previous dose of 13mg and will stay at that until I normalise again. Then drop .5mg at a time. Possibly staying at each new dose for between two-three weeks. Previously I've been dropping 1mg a week.

All hooked up for the third cycle.

I have yet to experience any increased neuropathy so we are continuing on at the full dose of Adcetris/ Brentuximab. Yesterday I received my third cycle. At this stage we have only purchased enough of the drug for four cycles. I will meet with my haematologist in two weeks and discuss how many more cycles we will order from the manufacturer. Possibly after another PET/CT scan to ascertain how well the treatment is working. I'm expecting to purchase another four cycles unless the drug isn't working, but I'm fairly sure it is.

The surgery to my arm seems to have worked well and has healed nicely. Usually the stitches would be coming out around now, however I'm leaving them in till next Monday, a period of 14 days so as to give it plenty of time to knit.

I still have the ringing in my ears and a very productive cough. The latter I'm assuming is from the fibrosis in my left lung. It has been unaffected by either the prednisone or Adcetris. The other choking persistent cough I had has gone. That I believe was related to Hodgkins. The ringing in the ears I'll just have to live with.

I had an ultrasound on my left jaw, below my ear on Saturday. It was inconclusive as to what exactly it was. It could be an enlarged lymph node or a problem with the parotid (saliva) gland. I suggested to my oncologist that maybe a fine needle aspiration would help. He said it would not tell us enough to make a diagnosis. He prefers to wait and see if it changes size. At the moment it's approximately 12mm.

..Ron