Clinic day

Ally pushed Pads over to the hospital in his new, ample wheelchair. He was pretty jovial. With a twinkle in his eye he asked 'what if I do not want to have the MRI scan' which is proposed for 3-4 weeks time. The consultant patiently explained that it would be useful to get a clearer view of what was going on, but that she would explore how it could be kept to as short a duration as possible. She tested his neurological system by asking him to touch each finger with his thumb in order, push with his feet in different directions and follow a finger with his eyes. In spite of everything, she seemed to be quite pleased with his responses. Belying the significant deterioration in his motor skills, he's still managed to build this Ferris wheel from a KNEX kit!

Pads starts a new cycle of temozolomide next week. It's impossible to say whether it is doing any good at the moment. A friend of Ally's mentioned a recent BBC Radio 4 programme which explored a drug called clomipramine that selectively kills certain types of brain tumour cells. Substantial trials had not been undertaken because it is an old drug, used to treat depression, and drug companies who fund so much research have nothing to gain from investing in trials. See this CancerActive page for more information.
Ally handed a copy of a web-page about clomipramine to the consultant and she didn't seem to have heard anything about it. She promised to investigate it next week.