MRI shows new problem areas, Spinal tap

Denise slept through the night last night and has continued to calm down, thanks in no small part to mild drug (I forgot the name, but the neurologist explained that it's a dopamine inhibitor). She did not complain of the pain in her side today, nor did she get any painkiller. She said she ate fairly well at all three meals and had no emesis. Out of all the hospitals, she liked the food at Huntington the best, and she says she's packing it away while she can. She had some more tests & scans today, including a spinal tap tonight. She's in good spirits and was a champ through the spinal tap (fluid was clear, not cloudy... that's a very, very good thing). The liver biopsy should be performed tomorrow.

The official results of the MRI are not in. Of preliminary concern tonight are "enhancements" (bright spots) on the MRI of the brain. These were not there in a previous MRI. Possible worst-case causes included tumor and infection. If the liver biopsy shows the presence of active cocci, it can be presumed that the same thing is going on in the brain. If so, it is possible that Denise will have to go through another round of amphotericin. The side effects can be hefty, and ironically can mimic and/or mask the symptoms of the problems that it tries to solve. Denise was able to benefit from a short course of the stuff before, with minimal side-effects. So she's got a good track record if it has to be used again. Again, all of this is based on a preliminary reading, and some "what-ifs." So here we are, once again waiting and seeing.

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