Alicia Update!

Bo had his One Month Birthday on Sunday! He had a checkup on Monday and weighed 9lbs 10ozs and was 21 inches. He is out of newborn clothes and moved on up to 3 month. His favorite hobbies include: swinging, eating, and grunting.

Alicia has a diagnosis of Adenocarcinoma of Unknown Origin. There is not a primary tumor to source the cancer to, however the DNA results indicate a strong match to Salivary Gland Cancer. She and the doctors were both anxious to get treatment underway so she had her first chemotherapy dose yesterday. She will have just three more treatments, then begin radiation (and depending on how well the first chemo round went, maybe a little more chemo with the radiation). Following radiation, surgery may be an option as well to remove any remaining tissues of concern.

Side effects for chemo vary and are unpredictable from dose to dose. They are proactive about relieving most of the common side effects, such as nausea and the general malaise feelings. She is given anti-nausea medicine and a steroid with her treatment. She may lose her hair, she may have excessive fatigue, appetite may come and go, right now it is all a wait and see game. The biggest concern during the course of chemo therapy is the suppression of the immune system and the risk of infection associated with that. For several days after a dose she will most likely be avoiding public places, and will need to avoid anyone who may be sick.

The most important thing to remember at this point, is that no one has all the answers. While she would love to know what the next few months are going to look like, and to know how she will feel, there is no way to know. As treatments progress she may know more, but as with babies, once you think you have it figured out, it is probably going to change.