Steven's Updates
April 3, 2007
Steve had appointments at the cancer center yesterday. With the decrease in prednisone there continues to be evidence of GVHD activity. He has a reddish rash on his face, stomach problems, and a new symptom – thickening of the skin on his sides. They feel he is reaching the edge of control so recommended that he stay at the current level of prednisone (15 mg every other day) for the next six months. They want to check on the skin thickening in three months to avoid the possibility of it developing into scleroderma. If the symptoms get worse, he will have to increase the prednisone. The good news was that his blood work was normal and the tightness of the skin on his legs had decreased above the ankles.Steve’s vision is still not good and they spoke of the possibility of sending him to Boston – the only place that makes a special large contact lens for patients like him. It is quite expensive and would mean being off work and traveling across the country so we hope it doesn’t come to that. Another possibility is to have the tear ducts plugged so the drops he uses stay more on the eye than running into the open ducts.The windpipe stretch surgery has not brought about any improvement. When Steve saw the surgeon a couple of weeks ago, she offered some other options and recommended another stretching and the insertion of a temporary stent to keep it open while it heals. It would come through the skin of his throat like a trache, in order to anchor it in position, but would be much smaller and the end would be plugged so he would not be taking air in through it. He goes back to see her on April 20th so we’ll know then if that will be necessary.
