The New SSS Blog

Tomorrow It's a Wrap!

Posted Wednesday May 13, 2026

I've been cleared to leave the hospital tomorrow. I'm still doing great, having no side effects from the treatment. Those may arrive in the next week or so as the number of modified CAR-T cells in my bloodstream increases. If the side effects are bad enough, I might have to return to the hospital, but I'm not expecting that will happen.

So I get to return to: delicious Suzie-made food, walks in the fresh air and sunshine, nights with uninterrupted sleep, normal showers with full flow, freedom from being tethered to the infusion machine. Autonomy!

The nurses and staff here at the Stanford Hospital have been so wonderful – professional and kind – that I may have to take Stanford off of my always-root-against college sports list. (Although I need to give that more thought, I wouldn't want to make any rash decision. Roll on you Bears....)

We have to stay in Palo Alto for another 20 days in case any bad symptoms arise. I also have 8 follow-up appointments scheduled during that time, which will be a 15-minute drive from our Palo Alto apartment rather than a 1.5 to 2 hour drive from Kensington.

I got one small data point today indicating that the treatment is probably working. The blood marker for the level of myeloma in my system was at 87 two weeks before I got the treatment. (Normal range is 3 - 20.) A test for that marker taken just 48 hours after I got the experimental infusion returned a reading of 81. Not a big change, but going in the right direction. It shows that the treatment's conversion of T-cells into cancer-killing CAR-T cells had already begun, and that those CAR-T cells had already started their killing spree. As more and more are converted, I fully expect the marker's level to go down more quickly.

Amazing, amazing stuff.

One thing I didn't fully understand before I started the trial was that the results of all of the many, many blood tests taken by Stanford on behalf of the trial's sponsor are confidential, even from me. I understand why the sponsor would want that, although I assume that at some point they'd need to release that data (de-identified, so no one would know which subject which data came from), either in connection with its release of the Phase 1 study results, or as part of an application to move on to next phase of obtaining FDA approval for the treatment. Still, I wish I could see the, not because I want to release it to the sponsor's competitors, but just to see what the effects of the treatment on me were over time. I'm a curious guy.

Finally, thanks to everyone for your concern and your messages of support and encouragement. They meant a lot to me and Suzie, and helped us keep our spirits up.

Stay tuned for further reports.