6/30/10 - Update

From Dad. . .

Yesterday was arguably the best day Mom has had since the seizures in Chicago on August 17 of last year. We learned from Duke doctors that the tumor had contracted quite dramatically under the Avastin rubric. This was very good news to Mom after 10 months of unrelenting downside news.

This good news has been purchased at a certain cost. The Avastin is very aggressive - especially on certain targets, of which Mom is one. Doctors say she is one out of eighty who is very vulnerable to having Avastin attack healthy tissue and thus prompt infections. This has occurred. It can be fixed, but it is not something to be taken lightly. Mom will have to have a cleaning out of the infection, followed by plastic surgery. Mom in her euphoria (and it almost escaped me) may have to be in the hospital for a couple of days. It does mean that there can be no more Avastin for Mom until the infection is cleared out - which probably means the end of August. But this is not a severe crimp, because there is no big target to focus on re cell growth at this point.

Dr. V reminded us very obliquely that we were not looking at a cure.

All of this took place in the context that mom continues to be quite weak and has been in significant discomfort.

Love to all. Ted