So with all of the emotional content in my posts of late I think we are missing some of the technical parts that you are all hoping to see. While we are stilling living in the land of the unknown mostly related to when things are going to occur or not occur. However, there are some additional things we are on watch for as the tumor continues to grow.
There will be no further MRI’s as all they will tell us is growth. There is no further treatments that we are trying.
This is what we are now watching for that will show the progression of tumor growth.
- Increased sleeping time (already seeing this and have been for a while). This comes with difficulties waking him up.
- Periods of wakefulness where he doesn’t seem present. Where he will stare into space or look at you with no comprehension. (Also starting to see this a bit, not frequent, but has happened). This directly impacts the ability to communicate, make decisions and respond to questions.
- Trouble swallowing. Choking on water, food, etc.
- Trouble managing saliva and mucus secretions. This means that Dave will have a hard time getting the secretions up or swallowing them down. Choking on them more, etc.
- Increased seizure activity. Had the first one in months on Sunday. It was a focal seizure as we have had before and didn’t last very long, but was still something we hadn’t seen since early January.
The choking issues can create additional problems if he aspirates water or food into his lungs. This can lead to infection which we don’t want.
We have already seen the loss of the ability to use the right side of his body. Challenges with moving and controlling his head have also come up. This will continue, but won’t impact the automatic body functions like breathing.
While Dave has been generally stable there have been indications that the tumor is still growing. While we still hope and pray for a miracle it is hard waiting to see what will happen next. We appreciate all of the support our family and friends have been providing, even if it’s only an ear or word of encouragement. I still thank you as it helps to keep me grounded and not lost in grief.
We all have our challenges, some larger than others, but still there. We can only tackle them with support. Thank you!
The Adams-Schlag Family 