Baby Steps

Ron's skin condition, which last week seemed to be improving, took a backward step after I wrote that and he was miserable into the middle of this week. The second skin biopsy still indicates drug-induced lupus (DIL). Ron continues to be on prednisone and a pain killer and is still not taking Simvastatin, the anti-cholesterol drug that is associated with DIL. His skin looks as though it was severely burned, as though doused with chemicals, and is starting to heal. It is as painful as if it were burned and healing. It's ugly as hell.

Ron's blood counts were better Thursday, but still not high enough for chemo. The doctor has put off Week #1 of the treatment until next Thursday. The strength of the chemo drugs will be reduced by 20% in an effort to not have Ron's counts drop as low as they did. The doctor said that Ron's poorly-functioning kidneys cannot process the drugs as well as healthy kidneys, hence the severe blood count reaction.