New Information

As requested, this post will relay all that I know as of this point (3:30 1/21/10). I have more questions than answers right now (as you will after reading), but I am told and agree that it might be better than not knowing what has been going on.


For the past two weeks, Kate has been very sleepy, staying awake for no more than 20 minutes at a time. This fatigue has been accompanied with chills, head pain, trouble swallowing, and instability when standing. On Friday (15th) we drove to Durham (Duke Medical) for her to have an MRI (her first since radiation). On Monday (18th) Kate passed out and on her Mother’s recommendation, I took her to the hospital here in Greenville. She was tested for all sorts of things and eventually treated for dehydration and thyroid insufficiency (which I understand to be a lack of hormone problem). The tests revealed that many of her hormone levels as well as potassium levels were low. She was given plenty of rest, liquids, and a few hormone and potassium drugs before being released (to see how she was in a few days). This morning (1/21/10) after little change if any in Kate’s symptoms, I woke up to her passing out again. She had talked with her Mom and had scheduled an appointment with her primary care doctor just moments earlier. When she awoke (from passing out) 20 seconds later, I took her back to the hospital. After seeing Kate, her primary doctor suggested she be admitted back into the hospital as an inpatient, so that she could be checked out more thoroughly for the fatigue and fainting. Since being admitted, blood has been drawn and other samples taken to help determine how her body is doing. Her doctors here have also gotten the results from the MRI at Duke and are trying to find out all that they can tell us.

As of 4:50 1/21/10, the doctors cannot be certain what they are seeing in the MRI. Cancer growth causes light to show up on MRIs, but so, too, does left over radiation, as well as some types of radiation induced inflammation. There is a lot of light showing on Kate’s recent MRI and the Duke radiologist’s report on the MRI says that they believe they see cancer growth. This would be horrible news if it turns out to be true (as it would mean the very high levels of radiation she received had not stopped the tumor). Because of this, Kate’s doctors here in Greenville are trying to get in touch with her doctors at Duke as well as her doctors at MGH in Boston to compare notes, as well as comparing MRI images, old and new, to see what is going on and what they can do to help her.

So, what do I know? I know that Kate’s recent symptoms (severe fatigue, pain, trouble swallowing, and instability) are being caused by radiation, inflammation, or tumor growth. Radiation is unlikely, as we would have expected to see these symptoms earlier and for them to be getting better (they are getting worse). Inflammation is unlikely because she has been off and on anti-inflammatory drugs ever since radiation (for one reason or another). So most likely it is her tumor that has suddenly caused all of these symptoms to arise. If this is true, we can expect very bad things, as there was already very little room for it to grow without threatening life functions.

She says she is feeling about normal, which recently has been code for feeling cold, pain, and very tired. I will be with her here in the hospital overnight and will (as time allows) update this blog with what I know. Limited as that might be.

(6:20 no change)

(10:40) late update

Comparing a CT scan done today with the MRI done on Friday of last week, the doctors here in Greenville as well as the doctors at Duke and in Boston all agree 100%, that the tumor is the cause of Kate’s symptoms and it is growing aggressively. They have told us that the experimental treatment we had been told about in Boston (mentioned in a previous post), would be our option of last resort, but that there is little hope that those trials would provide any help at this stage (due to size and location). The folks here in Greenville still want to try a few things (tomorrow) in an effort to help her with the pain and with her energy levels but know that anything else is beyond their ability.