DECEMBER 12, 2012 THE HEADACHE SAGA

 Now that I've absorbed about as much of the information that I've received over the past couple of days I feel I can share with you all now. On Sunday November 9th, I spent about 6 hours in the emergency department of our local hospital due to my headaches getting intolerable. I have a quite high tolerance of pain but this was getting to be too much. Long story short, after blood samples, culture swabs and a cat scan, it was determined that I undoubtedly have an infection in the open holes on my head. These are the two dime sized holes that have never healed because of the constant influx of chemotherapy and surgeries I've been through over the past few years.  Because of my compromised immune system, I am always at high risk of infection and sickness. So was this the cause of my headaches????? 

Well, at this point they don't know because unfortunately when they did the cat scan on Sunday and sent it to London for analysis, it was returned shortly thereafter saying that my deepest tumor has grown since the last MRI on September 28, 2012. The previous dimensions were 4.6 x 1.9 cm and as of Sunday the dimensions were 5.7 x 2.4cm. There was also increased edema/swelling around the Tumour mass.  This would explain the increased weakness and lack of mobility in my left arm and leg lately. So in a nutshell, what does all this mean.....................................?

I talked with my oncologist this morning (via his primary nurse of course) and the only advice I was given was to double my dosage of DEXAMETHASONE to help decrease the swelling around the brain. DEXAMETHASONE is the steroid that I have been taking for quite a period of time now. As you know from previous posts, the side effects for me are sleeplessness and increased appetite. And now they want me to double my dosage from 4 mg to 8 mg daily. There are also the number of long term nasty side effects that accompany this drug. I can't seem to win lately!!! At the end of it all I guess I just have to weigh the pros and cons of it and go from there. 

Unfortunately we never had a baseline MRI at the beginning of my Avastin treatments for reference. That would have helped because we would have known the size of the Tumour at the time of the first infusion and would also be able to track the progress of the Tumour and drug going forward. The question in my mind is has the Tumour grown larger than its current dimensions and is the Avastin working on stabilizing it or with any luck, shrinking it???????? I guess I won't know those results until after my scheduled MRI on December 21 with results day being Christmas Eve.

While this news really sucks, I am still hopeful the Avastin monkeys are doing their job inside my brain.  lol 

I go for my third Avastin treatment tomorrow morning. This infusion should only take 30 minutes since I have tolerated the first two with no immediate side effects while being infused. See.....  There is a bit of sunshine in every dark cloud  ;)  If if there is anything newsworthy after much treatment tomorrow, I will update this website. Not much else to say this point except.....CANCER SUX

Ed