Fever ...

Adam is back in Epsom Hospital with fever and severe pain in his left leg. We were supposed to be enjoying a weekend away together at the caravan as Jake wasn't playing football. So much for that idea. On Friday Adam started complaining of pain in his right shoulder, he couldn't lift his arm at all. Then yesterday he couldn't move his left leg without wincing with pain. He certainly couldn't stand on it. Muscular, joint, and bone pain are side-effects of the sorafenib that Adam is on; he had various aches and pains during the first cycle but nothing quite as severe or debilitating as this. The location of these latest two problem areas exacerbates matters. The fear, of course, is that this is neuroblastoma, not sorafenib. Adam has lots of disease in his pelvis and hip area. His shoulder problems began to resolve yesterday, and by this morning he only experiences pain if he fully extends his arm above his head. His leg hasn't yet begun to improve.

We decided last night to pack up and come back home as nobody was having much fun. We'd tried to go out for lunch, but Adam couldn't get out of the car, couldn't get comfortable sitting; all we succeeded in doing was having an aborted trip out that left Adam upset and Jake and Jessica feeling let down. General family disharmony ensued.

This morning Adam woke early, though in good spirits. However, his temperature quickly began to rise and by mid-morning it was clear we were heading for a few days back up on Casey Ward. And so here we are, waiting for Adam's blood results to see if they provide any clue as to the source of this latest episode. Adam lies in the bed opposite me, the fan blowing air over him now the paracetamol has taken effect and he's gone from feeling cold (but having a fever) to feeling hot (but having a normal temperature).

This world in which we live can be a cruel world indeed. Last weekend, little Oscar travelled from Dublin to Philadelphia to start the immunotherapy treatment that would give him the best chance of being rid of neuroblastoma for good. This weekend he lies in the intensive care unit at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia fighting for his life, all thoughts of immunotherapy long since gone. Positive thoughts go out to Oscar and his family. You can read his Mum's heart-wrenching account of the past week here - It all goes wrong in Philadelphia.