Immunotherapy Cycle 2 & Starting 3

I apologize for not posting this sooner. Sawyer finished his second week of Cycle 2 the week of June 2nd -8th and unfortunately it was a lot harder than we thought it would be on him. In case you were unaware the lower organs (intestines, colon, etc.) are very sensitive to any kind of treatment. Sawyer especially so because of the shifting of the organs during surgery and the intense radiation that portion of his body received. After his second day of receiving the CH14.18 Antibody and IL-2 combination he developed some severe abdominal pains. The doctors put his treatment on hold, sent him for imaging (X-ray and ultrasound), and consulted with his surgeon. The imaging indicated that he had a significant blockage which his surgeon thought was at least partially due to some scar tissue build up from the surgery and radiation as well as the side effects from the IL-2 and the pain meds. His team determined that he would not need days three and four of the antibody, they stopped his treatment and shifted the focus on getting him to pass the blockage to prevent the need for surgery. It was hard on him; he was not allowed to eat or drink anything and had to have an NG tube inserted in his nose to suction the contents of his stomach and relieve the pressure in his abdomen. In addition to having the NG he also needed to walk the halls regularly, he was very uncomfortable and it was very difficult, as you can imagine, but he did everything the doctors and nurses asked of him and as a result he was able to pass everything on his own and only had to be inpatient an extra day.

Sawyer was much better when he came home. He started feeling better, eating better and has been putting on some weight. The week of June 17-21 he was able to attend a special camp here in Lombard called TLC Camp. It is designed for children in the area age 5-13 who are cancer patients, survivors, and their siblings. It was a fun week jammed packed with lots of activities and outings that culminated with a trip to Six Flags Great America. He really enjoyed it!

​Last Monday (6/24) was very exciting Sawyer got to meet his favorite baseball player number 44 Anthony Rizzo!! Thanks to the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation Sawyer and Jeremy were able to go out onto the field to meet Rizzo and Sawyer was even able to go into the dugout. We were also treated to dinner and games at Sluggers and tickets for the whole family to the baseball game that evening. Sawyer was very excited that the Cubs came away with a win that evening. It was a very fun night for all of us!

This week (7/1) Sawyer is back in the hospital to start his third cycle of immunotherapy. He will just be receiving the CH14.18 antibody and knowing how he reacted last time we should hopefully be able to anticipate his needs and adjust his medications accordingly. He is scheduled to receive the antibody for 4 days and discharged on Friday.

Thank you so much for your support! Please continue to keep Sawyer and our family in your thoughts and prayers! Thank you all for reading!! We will continue to update with Sawyer’s treatment.
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Until Next Time!!
Jen, Jeremy, Sawyer, & Calvin