Today Massimo was due to start his 3rd cycle of chemo, but unfortunately he is neither well enough to undergo a general anaesthetic to fix his hickman line nor well enough to cope with a dose of actinomycin D – one of his two chemotherapy drugs – as this would make it much harder for him to get over his RSV bronchiolitis. He therefore did not go over to Great Ormond Street yesterday or today and all has been postponed to next Monday, if however he is not showing signs of getting better by Thursday, then they will postpone everything another week more.
Although Massimo’s oxygen requirement has remained at a constant 0.2 (0.25) litres a minute (depending on the flow metre being used!) his difficulty in breathing had worsened yesterday and today. He is however, very cheerful and I got a few smiles today. He was very interested in a group of young medical students who came to study him today but although he looked at them long and hard he never deigned them with a smile!
Since New Year’s Eve nothing dramatic has happened except that Freddie Hewitt Ward has now re-opened and Massimo is back on his usual ward.