frf

Hi, I understand your situation. I have had a very good response with IPI,but had to go on blood thinners because of a cardiac issue (stent put in this past July). Almost immediately, I developed severe anemia (down to 8.0 hematocrit) and had to have 2 units infusion, and taken off the Plavix. They did an upper and lower GI endoscopy, which showed 4 or 5 melanoma nodes in my duodenum. These were too small to see with a CT scan. I was taken off Plavix right away, put on iron supplements, and am back up to a reasonable level (about 11.5 hematocrit). Doing fine otherwise, and now on IPI reinduction, waiting to see the results in 3 weeks.

So my strong advice to you is to get an endoscopy to see if you're bleeding in your GI tract. Also,I would adivise you get  yourself to a center of excellence in melanoma. Roswell is known as a center for IL-2, which I absolutely hated, and I'm wondering if you can get down to Memorial Sloan Kettering in NYC. They're a major center of excellence and great care. I'm at Yale, which I love. The other great option in the northeast is Boston/Harvard and Dana Farber.

Best,

Jon

Hi, I understand your situation. I have had a very good response with IPI,but had to go on blood thinners because of a cardiac issue (stent put in this past July). Almost immediately, I developed severe anemia (down to 8.0 hematocrit) and had to have 2 units infusion, and taken off the Plavix. They did an upper and lower GI endoscopy, which showed 4 or 5 melanoma nodes in my duodenum. These were too small to see with a CT scan. I was taken off Plavix right away, put on iron supplements, and am back up to a reasonable level (about 11.5 hematocrit). Doing fine otherwise, and now on IPI reinduction, waiting to see the results in 3 weeks.

So my strong advice to you is to get an endoscopy to see if you're bleeding in your GI tract. Also,I would adivise you get  yourself to a center of excellence in melanoma. Roswell is known as a center for IL-2, which I absolutely hated, and I'm wondering if you can get down to Memorial Sloan Kettering in NYC. They're a major center of excellence and great care. I'm at Yale, which I love. The other great option in the northeast is Boston/Harvard and Dana Farber.

Best,

Jon

Hi, I understand your situation. I have had a very good response with IPI,but had to go on blood thinners because of a cardiac issue (stent put in this past July). Almost immediately, I developed severe anemia (down to 8.0 hematocrit) and had to have 2 units infusion, and taken off the Plavix. They did an upper and lower GI endoscopy, which showed 4 or 5 melanoma nodes in my duodenum. These were too small to see with a CT scan. I was taken off Plavix right away, put on iron supplements, and am back up to a reasonable level (about 11.5 hematocrit). Doing fine otherwise, and now on IPI reinduction, waiting to see the results in 3 weeks.

So my strong advice to you is to get an endoscopy to see if you're bleeding in your GI tract. Also,I would adivise you get  yourself to a center of excellence in melanoma. Roswell is known as a center for IL-2, which I absolutely hated, and I'm wondering if you can get down to Memorial Sloan Kettering in NYC. They're a major center of excellence and great care. I'm at Yale, which I love. The other great option in the northeast is Boston/Harvard and Dana Farber.

Best,

Jon