Hope …

Adam's fever continued to recede overnight and he hasn't required any paracetamol since late yesterday afternoon. It's clearly good news, but no cause for euphoria and we're not getting carried away. His ANC has further improved following a second dose of GCSF, and his CRP has dropped a little although it remains highly elevated. Our sole objective remains the same; to get him well enough to board a plane back to America. Adam's objectives are (1) to have his port de-accessed so he can lie on his left side, and (2) to spend some time at home. We've relayed his objectives to the doctors as well, because they are important. He knows we are taking him back off to America at the first available opportunity and he needs to know that we understand his needs too, and try as much as possible to accommodate them.

Various aches and pains remain but those he had on Sunday when he was admitted, right shoulder and left leg, are all but gone. His right leg and the top of his head are giving him the most trouble now. I really don't know what's going on. Pains moving around and resolving themselves would be atypical of neuroblastoma, but I've heard such wide and varied accounts of what this disease is capable of that we can't rule it out. The fever and CRP, despite responding to antibiotics, could easily be neuroblastoma. To provide an unpleasant perspective on our current situation; when Adam was diagnosed he presented with swollen lymph node and neck pain. His CRP level was highly elevated, but initially improved with antibiotics, thus supporting the incorrect hypothesis that his problems were the result of an infection. As I've said many times; before Adam became ill he was apparently well, so the fact he appeared to be well last week means nothing.

So we continue to watch, we continue to wait, and we continue to hope.