I'm starting a trial tomorrow

Sundanceh said:

Roger
This should be an interesting "science experiment", Roger. Trails have to be blazed and it looks like we're the ones that have to clear the path for others to walk down.

I remember being Numero Uno for my DaVinci surgery and it opened the door for others to follow, so it can be a good thing to be early in line. I'm sure you're apprehensive about it, but I feel you are giving yourself every good chance that you see.

I stand with you as you move forward and eagerly await what you find out.

-Craig

Just goodluck mate
roger,
When I read your post all I can think of is
"Yes balls of steel", number two what a legend.
I pray it works for you and all to come.
Now I will be praying for you and john.
hugs,
pete

Roger!
Awwwright! Nothing better than to have a plan... and be able to stick to that plan. Yes, Trials are tricky and we, the lay people who are depending on them, don't REALLY understand all the ins and outs of them. On the other hand, by the time they get to the human trial stage, a lot of research and study has gone into them. It's not like us laypeople who do things like, "Gee, I wonder if I were to boil some tulip leaves and add garlic to the brew, if that will be the new cure all?" As lay people we really do try to understand and want to find the magic bullet so badly that we tend to jump to conclusions based on heresay. But with trials, there have been researchers, scientists, medical experts and a whole army of various experts putting their .02 in, coming up with conclusions on paper, doing tests pre-human and getting it to such a stage that it makes sense now to do human trials. Sometimes, I have to say it's probably better to even skip over the animal testing (no, I'm not going to get into a discussion for/against animal testing... that's a whole other kettle of fish), because animal systems are NOT the same as human systems. Some are very similar, but the two are not the same, so after you spend a few years doing the animal testing, it's like starting over to do the human trials.

I think what you are doing is very brave and yet it seems like a natural option, and one that you are eligible for. The little one/two sentence about what the drug is suppose to do (build up the T-cells so the T-cells do the attacking on the cancer cells) makes sooooo much sense if you have followed the history of AIDS medications. Look where we are with AIDS now? Back in the early 80s when AIDS first hit North America... not only did we not know what it was and it was assumed only gay folk could get it (gee, even in the 80s, human knowledge was so primitive and based on rumours and what we see is what it is) and it did not affect the hetrosexual world, this disease became a disease of epidemic proportions. Cancer is a disease of epidemic proportions too. During the 80s and early 90s, if you were diagnosed with AIDS it was an automatic death sentence and from diagnosis to death, NO ONE lived more than 2 years. There was no 5 year survival rate, 2 years max and most didn't last that long. They came up with one or two drugs for AIDS which did nothing for survival rate, but both drugs were to build up the immune system. Now, here we are in the 2000's and AIDS is no longer a death sentence in North America. There are now drug cocktails that YES, they are custom designed for each individual based on their immune system and as long as people are taking their meds, they are showing no sign of HIV or the disease (they are HIV/AIDS NED)... but if they stop taking their drug cocktails, then yes, the disease is still there. It's unfortunate that these AIDS drugs are not available to everyone (think third world countries and/or countries that don't supply them as part of their healthcare) but for those who do have them, they are living long, healthy lives, even though they have been diagnosed.

THAT is what these trials can do for us.... and someone had to be the trial participants for the AIDS cocktail drugs... and chances are they are still around to talk about it So you may be on to the magic cocktail that is going to be the Roger cocktail... and we will all be following you with great interest!! Sure it's scary... being the first to try anything with no one having succeeded or failed before you... that's a huge step. But think of the rewards if this works the way the researchers and experts who are putting this trial together think it has the potential for

Good for you and I'm sending sparks and thoughts that this is THE ROGER COCKTAIL!!

Cheryl