Subject: Lesley Baldauf Update - 10/28

I know it's been a long time since my last e-mail.  I thought I'd bring
you up to date.  When we last sent a message, Lesley had just come home
from the rehabilitation hospital.  We had just begun her radiation
treatment.  Last Tuesday (October 19th) we finished the last of her 30
treatments.  She tolerated them really well with only a small amount of
additional fatigue.  She also lost more of her hair, evidently where the
radiation was passing through the head.  She's lost about 1/2 and we're
not sure that she'll regain it.  In most places there's still fuzz, so
it may grow back.

That same Tuesday Lesley began exhibiting symptoms of brain swelling.
Oftentimes there can be swelling because of the radiation.  Lots of
sleeping, more difficulty with words, not being quite so with it.  She
didn't improve on Wednesday the 20th.  After a conversation with a
doctor in the Mass General Brain Tumor Center (after several promises of
call backs), we decided to take Lesley in to the Emergency Room at Mass
General.  They did a CT scan which showed swelling so they admitted
her.  An MRI (taken at 2:30 in the morning!) confirmed it.  They
increased her steroids (Decadron) from 4mg/day to 12mg/day, but the next
morning she was not much better.  They then upped her Decadron to
24mg/day and put her on an IV drug, Mannitol, to help.  She responded
real well to that, but they then had to taper her off the Mannitol
before she could be released.  We came home Tuesday afternoon.  The only
notable difference since before this episode is that her ability to find
the right words is a bit worse.  Otherwise, she's doing real well.
She's still on the 24mg Decadron and if that doesn't keep the swelling
down they'll have to operate again.  So far, so good - we went in for
another MRI this afternoon and have a Dr.'s appointment on the 2nd.  We
probably won't hear the results of the MRI until the 2nd.

If all is fine, Lesley will start on chemotherapy (Temodar) next week.
Temodar (also known as Temozolomide) is the latest drug to have been
approved by the FDA for brain tumors.  It is given by pill for 5 days,
then 23 days off, then repeat the cycle as long as the drug is tolerated
well and is showing progress against the tumor.  Side effects are
generally minimal and are generally well controlled.  See the references
on:
http://www.virtualtrials.com/noteworth.cfm
for more information.

So, we're getting by.  We've had visits from Lesley's twin sister and
her family, and from my folks.  The kids are doing well and are wrapping
up their soccer season and getting ready for basketball.  I'm doing
quite a bit of running around but I am getting transportation help from
some very kind friends.  If I hadn't mentioned it before, Lesley is not
driving.

I'll try to send these out in a more timely manner.  I was hoping to do
once every 2 weeks but I guess I've missed that timetable. :-)

Dave and Lesley
--
Dave Baldauf, h/o Lesley, gbm, dx/srg 8/99, rad 9/99, rad completed
10/99, probably starting Temodar 11/99
mailto:dbaldauf@ultranet.com