Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Just a quick update tonight, because I'm having a bit of trouble seeing the screen. Yesterday, while trying to shore up the garden fence so our adventurous little Tod would stay out, a branch came back and hit me right in the eye, before I had a chance to even close my eye. I saw the eye doctor who said it was scratched, but would be fine. He dilated my eye though, and it still has not gone down all the way, and it's pretty blurry. 

Anyway, we spent most of the day at NYU today for Hannah's screening for a clinical trial for a drug called Aricept. Some of you may know the name, it is currently used for adult Alzheimer's patients. It has not been used in kids before. It is specifically used for attention impairment, but rather than being a stimulant like Ritalin for ADHD kids, it works in a different manner, specifically beneficial for kids with cognitive impairment due to brain issues like cancer. So far NYU has screened 4 kids, with only 1 qualifying for the study. Hannah was number 5, and did end up qualifying as attention impaired, and met all the other requirements. We have not yet decided to participate. It is a phase III study, meaning it has already passed phase I (toxicity) and phase II (dosage levels) and is in the final phase. This study is being administered at NYU as well as several other places around the country.

Please keep Hannah in your thoughts and prayers for tomorrow. She has her spinal MRI tomorrow, then we head to clinic for her monthly visit. We should had preliminary results by the clinic appointment. Usually, if kids recur with standard medulloblastoma (only contained in the brain), they will recur in the brain first. That is not always the case (King Julian), but nearly always. That's what I'm telling myself, and so far so good. I will update tomorrow after we get home.

More to come tomorrow on many things like a special Coaches vs. Cancer event next week, new Cans for Cancer information, and Hannah's adoption!!!! 

♥Kim