Paused

While the last post was sharing some good news, unfortunately I don't have much good news to share today.  Today was supposed to be the 4th and final treatment of the two drug cocktail but we ended up having to pause the treatment as we haven't got over the nausea hurdle and add a steroid to the nausea meds Alli has been taking. 

With Alli's clear brain MRI last week and her bloodwork coming back mostly normal this week the nausea can't be traced back to something in her brain (thank you) or to the treatment meds causing some issues with a gland or other organ.  Since the nausea got progressively worse as she went through the first three treatments the best idea is that the nausea is an acute reaction to the drugs themselves.  Adding the steroid will dampen the effect of the drugs but hopefully also will allow Alli to get past the nausea and get back her nutrition level. 

The decision to not do the treatment today was a tough one.  While the bloodwork came back mostly normal, the one part that didn't come back normal was the one that was correlated to her nutrition level... kinda obvious that one might be in the tank when she has gone almost 3 weeks without eating/ drinking very much.  And with nausea getting worse with every treatment and with how bad it is already it was hard to picture getting worse and getting through it without going on steroids anyway.

So the plan is for her to go on the steroids/ nausea drug combo to try and kick the nausea away and come back in 3 weeks to take the 4th dose.  There will be a taper down like last time with the steroids but it will be based on how Alli feels with the nausea, not on a blood level like it was before.  Part of the thinking was getting her back to eating and out of this hell, but also if she had the 4th dose and then it got worse we might be on the steroids anyway.  Hopefully this allows her to get through this nausea cycle and then allows her to get the 4th dose in 3 weeks. 

Alli did also want to pass along a thank you for all the kind messages she has been sent.  While she's hasn't been able to reply she says she hopefully will be able to get to them as she exits this nausea hell.   

Also, thank you for all the good wishes for Kimmy.  She was discharged from the hospital on Saturday and is recovering well from home. 

-B