Concerning developments

Hi everyone:

Kathleen is in St. Joseph's hospital today (as an outpatient) to receive two transfusions of platelets and two of whole blood; the goal is to boost her depressed hemoglobin and platelet counts.

Kathleen's oncologist started her on a new drug--Eribulin--because the chemo treatments she was receiving are no longer staying ahead of her cancer. Her latest test results have shown that the cancer has further infiltrated her bone marrow. Kathleen was also told that the ascites (fluid in the abdominal cavity) that plagued her during her prior rounds of hospitalizations never fully went away.

She's struggling most days with significant pain in her back. Last night, when Patty and I visited her at home, Kathleen was clearly uncomfortable much of the time, and yet she seemed pretty upbeat and positive. She's a feisty broad, to be sure. Patty is with her today, and has texted me a few times to tell me Kathleen's blood pressure is running low (70/35), and that she's sleeping a lot (thank you, Benadryl).

Eribulin is an anti-cancer drug given exclusively to metastatic breast cancer patients who have received multiple rounds of chemo that are no longer effective. The drug, which received FDA approval in November of last year, has been shown to extend a patient's survival beyond life expectancy without the drug.

I'll try to post another update after Kathleen finishes her treatments.

Love,

Brian