Not news

The faithful readers of this blog may be curious of the latest developments. With one exception they are all bad. The details would sadden everyone and would tell you more about the disease than it does about Carolin, so I'll be light on specifics.

Carolin has lost a lot of mobility and must sleep a lot, but she still plans her day (and everyone elses) with a daytimer that she has much trouble reading. She is more willing to let others help now and we have many friends looking after her. It continues to amaze me how she won't quit. I know it is a cliche but she refuses to complain about her many serious aches and pains. She gets out of bed each day and starts returning phone calls and scheduling outings. She refuses to be overwhelmed by her problem.

Latest radiation

Carolin started a course of 5 radiation treatments on Tues (22nd) on her neck. This is to relieve the pain she gets in her neck and shoulder. It won't have an effect on her other cancer sites.

We're going to have lots of company in the next little while. My sister and her husband visited last weekend. My other sister is driving up from Salt Lake City with her daughter this weekend. Carolin's sister is wrestling with flight times from San Francisco and Carolin's Dad and Gail are looking for a time when there's not too many other guests. We're not much as hosts but people seem not to mind.

We were pointed at a clinical trial for Tykerb and Xeloda. Carolin might qualify however she has previously had a bad reaction to Xeloda, so they might say no. 15-20% of the people in the trial so far have had a positive reaction to the drug combination. It has bought them a few more weeks. It is not a cure. In Carolin's case she'd have to spend those weeks in the US. With an 80% chance that there's no improvement, we've decided to spend our time in Calgary.

Cancer cannot....

This was posted by a good friend. Carolin wanted it put on the top level.

What Cancer Cannot Do
Cancer is so limited....
It cannot cripple love
It cannot shatter hope
It cannot corrode faith
It cannot destroy peace
It cannot kill friendship
It cannot supress memories
It cannot silence courage
It cannot invade the sole
It cannot steal eternal life
It cannot conquer the spirit
......

On the weekend Carolin made it to watch Jessica's snowboarding lessons on Sunday. She's very intent on watching Jessica in her daily events. This proved to be a long day and she was in bed about 5 pm. This week she's doing Herceptin on Monday, and getting radiation on her neck on Tuesday. On Friday "home care" is making a second visit. They're providing whatever is needed to keep Carolin home instead of at the hospital.

Cramming a lot of stuff in 2 and a half years

It's only been 2.5 years since a lump turned Carolin's world around. Her case was one of the stubborn ones and over that time many friends, neighbours, doctors, and technicians have chipped in their love and expertise to make things better for Carolin and our family. Two and a half years in, the battle is not going our way.

Today the doctor reviewed the latest test results. The liver cancer is there but it is also not the primary concern. It has responded to the Xeloda chemotherapy in the past. The cancer in her neck is a problem but some radiation may be done to knock it back a little. Carolin wears a neck brace much of the time. However the primary concern is the cancer in her head.

The cancer in her head is causing many symptoms including very poor vision, bad balance, and slurred speech. In the past the tumour in the center of her brain has been treated by both general radiation and stereo-tactical radiation. Unfortunately that tumour continues to grow and more radiation in the brain is not possible. The doctors are out of treatment options.

Several people have asked about chemotherapy and the brain. Unfortunately that doesn't work. The chemo molecules are too big to cross the blood-brain barrier so they don't get into the brain. The Xeloda treatments may help the cancer sites in her body, it won't help her head. If someone knows of something new that is injectable and treats the brain, I'd like to hear about it. (Tykerb cannot be dispensed in Canada).

Sandy