Another busy week for Jonah in London. His implant operation was very successful and shorter than anticipated. He only needed one day to recover before starting his first infusion, the goal of which is to completely flood the tumour with cancer-fighting drugs.
Normally, these drugs are given systemically, reaching their target through the bloodstream. In Jonah’s case, the drugs can’t reach the tumour through the bloodstream due to a protective mechanism in the brain, the blood-brain barrier. This hurdle is why Jonah travelled to London; no procedure exists in Canada that will allow the drugs through the barrier, but the catheters implanted on Sunday provide a direct path into the tumour. Once the drugs are there, the blood-brain barrier is helpful; it keeps the drugs from getting out, sparing Jonah’s healthy tissue from their toxic effects.
Jonah has now had two infusions. They were done slowly and carefully; he is hooked up for about ten hours while the drugs are administered, but he is conscious throughout. Scans revealed that full coverage of the tumour was achieved. We are right on target.
Despite having undergone a brain surgery and two infusions in under a week, Jonah was discharged yesterday. His bevy of lively Jamaican nurses are sure to miss him, but he’ll be back for two more infusions in a month. Until then, he’s going rest, play cards, do his math homework, and, hopefully, keep delivering witty and sassy banter via text to us at home.