I wanted to let you all know that Paul seems to have lost his peripheral vision on the right side. He has been mentioning blind spots for awhile, but the last time the doctor checked it, he didn't seem to find anything wrong. However, Tuesday night I had Paul look at my nose while I wiggled my finger (like I've seen the doctors do). He didn't see my finger on the left side (his right side) until it was nearly to my nose.
He also seems to be having increasing difficulty remembering words and reading. Yesterday he said for the first time that maybe he should quit working. Apparently he was trying to fix a problem and he couldn't remember the commands he needed to get into the system. These are commands that he uses frequently, so it was pretty upsetting I think.
It's possible that these symptoms are due to swelling from the radiosurgery, but I'm also preparing myself that they may be due to new tumor growth. The doctor at the U of C said if the tumor starts growing again it's likely to be fast and furious. I don't know what that means in terms of time, but I suspect it means that things could deteriorate quite quickly.
We'll know for sure what's going on after Paul has the next MRI, which will be after this chemo cycle. The last day of the chemo is July 30. Even if it's tumor growth, we're not ready to give up. As long as he's feeling ok, we intend to keep fighting. There are several options for clinical trials. We'll know more about those after we see the doctor at U of C, which will be as soon as possible after the MRI.
Paul is singing a duet with one of the women in choir on Aug. 2. If anyone wants to come spend the weekend with us, we'd be glad to have you.
Continue to: July 25, 1998
Return to: Diary of a Brain Tumor Patient's Wife
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Created: May 31, 1999
Last updated: July 18, 2010