Up: Wednesday was by recent standards a good day. Penny took advantage to go out for breakfast with a friend in the morning, make Christmas treats with another friend in the afternoon, and then attend a gather of Calvin foreign language folks in the early evening.
Down: Thursday was notably less good.
Between: Today was between Wednesday and Thursday.
Under: Blankets, especially a new crocheted blanket from NIk, which arrived this week. Nothing better than a soft fleece, a fire in the fire place and a couple of blankets when you are having a hard time staying warm.
Out: Thursday was also the official exit from the third clinical trial. There will be one last check-in about a month from now. Leaving this trial opens up the possibility of radiation (see below) and a round of steroids (to start tomorrow).
In: Today Penny signed the consent paperwork to begin radiation treatments. Next Tuesday is "simulation day". No actual radiation, just getting fit to a form that will be used to position her each time, getting 3 small tattoos to further aid with alignment, and getting a CT scan to check where everything is when she is in this position. After that, it takes a few days for the team to work out the detailed radiation plan. Most likely daily (Monday through Friday) treatment will begin right after Christmas. The goal here is limited: By targeting some tumors that are near the surface and also near where the blockage occurred, the hope is to lengthen the time until the next blockage without causing more harm than good.
Down (again): Yesterday's blood work revealed that her magnesium is down. The plan was to do an infusion today, but things took too long at radiation oncology, so the infusion has been postponed until Monday.
Up (again): Penny's weight is up a few pounds this week. That makes two weeks in a row. That's good.
After: Likely after the radiation is completed (estimate: 10 treatment days), we'll investigate other clinical trial options. Dr. Lakhani indicated yesterday that "there will always be more trials...as long as your are healthy enough to undergo the treatment." There is not guarantee that any of them will be effective, of course.
When asked recently how things were going, Penny's response was "Mediocre. But honestly that is much better than 'bad'". That's a pretty good summary of the week. So the hope is that we can string together a few mediocre weeks that include some good days and some more weight gain, and enter the new year ready for what comes next.
Comments
Kimberley Carlos Belez: Thank you for taking the time to write these updates. We praise God for Ups, Friends, and Cozy blankets, and will be praying for the radiation prep.
Mary Hulst: May God surround you with beautiful mediocrity, occasional Ups, and his deep and unfailing love.
Marie VanderLinde : Thankful for βUpsβ and praying that radiation is well tolerated and helpful.
Patricia Boer Fischer : Prayin π Y'all Had a Blessed & Inspiring Christmas Weekend, Wanted 2Send Loooong Distance Hugg's from Tennessee 𧑠2Y'all.. God Bless, Tricia Boer Fischer πβ€οΈππ«πΆπ₯π₯°πππ