#15 - The Big Dipper

Firstly, a note from Google about how blogs currently operate which might affect some of you. -

"We encourage you to tell affected readers (perhaps via a blog post), that if they use a non-Google Account to follow your blog, they need to sign up for a Google Account, and re-follow your blog. With a Google Account, they’ll get blogs added to their Reading List, making it easier for them to see the latest posts and activity of the blogs they follow."

If you don't wish to post comments you can access it from: philipbulletin.blogspot.com.au

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Today, 1 March, we saw oncologist Dr Sayed Ali again and reported that Philip has been, not on a roller coaster but on the Big Dipper, in terms of his symptoms and labile mood. We thought a corner had been turned  (apologies for the mixed metaphor) in recent days as he ate more, walked more strongly, was less agitated and fatigued, and talked clearly and at a normal rate. But today after breakfast things fell into a heap quite suddenly and once again he was wiped out, had difficulty walking and asked for a wheelchair for the hospital visit.

The doctor thought he had been started on the Tarceva (anti-cancer drug) too soon after radiation finished and that the dose, an average given to people of all shapes and sizes, was perhaps too strong. So he is to give the Tarceva a rest for 2 weeks before restarting it at a lower dose, He is to continue on the steroid anti-inflammatory Dexamethasone - which was given for the radiotherapy and which had been tapered off to by now a negligible dose of 1 mg - for another 2 weeks, and he is to take an antibiotic for a rash on chest and face (side effect of Tarceva) as it could become infected.

The doctor commented that it is not an easy task juggling the medications. We are hoping for the 'Goldilocks' combination.