Monday, October 6, 2008

Radiation update

Linda's radiation is going well. The turn around time from when she leaves the house to when she returns is about 30 minutes. The actually irradiation takes mere seconds. Sure beats the day-long visits to the infusion room.

The Xeloda is giving her some mild tingling in her hands and feet (a known side-effect). Adding low-dose Xeloda isn't a standard practice yet (although it is in clinical trials) but if we get the benefit without any serious side effects, it's a worthwhile venture. There are different phases of a cell's division and the phase in which DNA is transfered is called the "S phase". Xeloda extends the "S phase" which increases the chances that a radiation particle will damage the cell DNA, causing the cell to self-destruct.

Linda is upbeat and her hair is finally starting to come back in. She is starting to make plans for a cruise next fall to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Making plans a year out is a great sign of her emotional recovery. Una cervesa por favor!

1 comment:

Jude said...

That's great! Go Linda! :-)