MARCHING ON

Brendan is now in the full throws of chemo. Most of his hair has fallen out (he still has kept a small amount of hair all over his head). He no longer has any white cells to fight infection and has been having nutrients via a naso-gastric tube. He has really slowed down. He fells unwell a lot of the time but still has the occasional bursts of energy. So far, Brendan is having all the 'normal' responses to chemo. He has prophylactic medication to stop him from catching any nasty germs. His food tastes have changed, he no longer wants his favourite food and finds delight in food he normally would not really be interested in. We contantly struggle to get him to eat anything, so we wait until he feels hungry. The gaps in his appetite are filled using a nutritional supplement. This has helped Brendan to maintain his weight and even put some weight on.

Brendan's days continue to be filled with constant medical care. We have found the only time to get any sleep is between 2.00 and 6.00 AM. The rest of the time there are machines that seem to be beeping a lot plus he also needs a lot of physical care. Overall he seems to be coping. He still loves a fight about his mouth care and really enjoys that Tara and Kieran are home again and visiting him most days.

Unfortunately some of his medication makes him extremely emotional. He can swing from happy to angry with little help. I find this part very tiring. Normally Brendan is a very compliant kid with all his medical care but now it seems everything is a constant battle.

Tomorrow (Wednesday) Brendan will have a bone marrow biopsy. The biopsy will determine Brendan's next treatment. We will either be heading to Sydney soon or we will be staying in Adelaide for more treatment. The decision will be made once Brendan's marrow has been veiwed by his doctors.

We will keep you informed
Much love Anna