3rd August, 2018

Nick's radiation treatments, originally scheduled for a week today, have been re-scheduled to start today. We expressed concern to Nick's doctors (through a slew of emails and phone messages) that undue delay in beginning radiotherapy could allow the cancer in the brain to spread beyond the margins of the targeted sites, thus rendering the radiation plan obsolete. As well, cancer could very well remain (and be growing) in the lungs or elsewhere; a delay in radiotherapy would result in a delay in chemotherapy to control this cancer. This is essentially what happened last time radiation was delayed, and this time the doctors concurred that time is of the essence here. God help anyone who enters our medical system without a strong advocate!

 Ultimately, the plan is still to have Nick attend school in the fall. Right now, he's on some pretty heavy anticonvulsant medication to ward off further seizures, at least until the offending lesions are burned out of his brain. Nick's meds are quite debilitating, preventing him from concentrating, thinking or reading, so it's crucial that he get off these before he starts school. Our excellent family physician, Dr. Liaschko, has referred us to a doctor who specializes in cannabis-based therapies, with the hopes that CBD oil (which is non-psychoactive) may provide an innocuous way to control seizure activity while drastically reducing reliance on debilitating anticonvulsant medications. This is not a step we'd consider without expert advice.

 The radiotherapy lasts for a brief five days, concluding Friday, August 10th, at which point Nick has a follow-up with his oncolgist Dr. Potvin. At this follow-up, next steps will be discussed. The options are further (but hopefully non-devastating) chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or...? It can't happen quick enough for our liking.

 In any case, Nick and Alex will be having an engagement party at our place on August 18th. This is open to Nick's friends, and of course all our family members. Please indicate whether or not you can attend on the invite page.

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