Tuesday 14 October 2014

AZD0424 clinical trial - out of week 2 and into week 3 of cycle 1

Steve has now finished the second week of the AZD0424 clinical trail.  We were back in hospital again this morning for his regular tests before starting week 3 of the first cycle of treatment.  

The usual chaos on Oxford's roads in peak hours is now exacerbated by roadworks in the city centre and the return of all the University students, on foot and cycles. However, after the frustrations of a trip across town, everything went smoothly at this morning's hospital appointment.  

It only took two attempts to find a vein that was willing to give enough blood for a sample, and there was no need to wait for the blood test results or to see the doctor.  We hope this is because everything is going well.  It seems to be...

The good news is that Steve has started to regain some of the weight he has lost recently and his appetite is healthy, in spite of the gurgling stomach.  We also noticed today that he wasn't puffing after climbing the stairs to the Early Phase Trials Unit, which happened at other recent visits.  

There have been side effects which are probably related to the trial drug, but nothing too difficult to deal with.  Steve has been feeling tired, so has taken a nap during the daytime.  A few spots have started to appear on his neck and face (mainly where his beard grows) but nothing like the awful rash he developed during the last clinical trial he took part in.   

In my last post, I referred to the benefits of physical activity. I had plenty of that last weekend, walking around Berlin with a group of photography friends.  Very wonderful it was too!  

Steve would have found the pace hard going, but I will take him there at some point in the future, I hope.  Something to look forward to, when he feels up to travel abroad and has time in between hospital appointments, assuming he stays in this clinical trial for a few more cycles when hospital check ups become once a fortnight, rather than weekly.

In the meantime, we are planning to go to Bristol to visit Steve's mum who is very poorly, and are looking forward to a visit next weekend from our daughter Katie and her partner. In between, we ought to set up the rain water harvesting system on the garden shed (there has been a lot of rain recently!); put away the summer clothes and bring out the winter woolies.  And process some more of the photos from Berlin ....These are from my iPhone :-) 




Here's a big hug for ALL the warriors, especially Lou in Australia who is going back on chemo to deal with a build up of fluid in her chest; Nancy in the States who is recovering from major surgery and grieving for the loss of her much loved dog, and all taking part in clinical trials like Steve, path-finding for those who follow.  Not forgetting the carers, families and friends of the warriors....You are all very brave, very wonderful people x




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