[chrisy]

Dear Marie,
First of all, having some ice cream and feeling some normalcy isn't cheating, it's LIVING and you are entitled to grab as much of that as you possibly can!

Sorry, I haven't been keeping up online lately. Is T/X being recommended as the next step or something else and YOU are wanting it?

You do sound very scared, and understandably so. Ed has really been put through the wringer and is fighting a mighty battle. There are all kinds of weapons in the arsenal, as you know.

My opinion is, if you think Tykerb and Xeloda are the big guns, pull them out! Even if they are not necessarily bigger (just meaner!), I think they are better in many ways. Not least of all is that they are more targeted - Tykerb of course targets specific things, and Xeloda only converts to super nasty toxic stuff INSIDE the tumor.
So you have the double advantage of destroying cancer while being less toxic to the good cells. That is not a small thing - yes, drugs and radiation and surgery are all weapons in the arsenal. But so is Ed's own vitality and strength - and it seems he may be ready to recharge. Both my oncologists favor treatments with "maximum efficacy and minimum toxicity" so that you have your PERSONAL resources to bring to the fight, for a long time.

All things considered, I think Tykerb/Xeloda would be a reasonable choice for you at this time. Just my opinion. And as others have said, this is not the last stop, you still also have "all the other chemos" out there as well as new ones in the pipeline.

Stay strong.

Much love
Chris