Recall

Week 5 of proton now.  So far, Zac has tolerated the treatment well, being mostly happy to go for his magic sleeps.  We had been advised by the doctors to expect to see some of the immediate side effects from the radiotherapy kicking in now- mainly tiredness, a reduction in appetite and some redness or irritation around the scalp from where the radiation is targeted.  The long-term effects, such as cognitive or learning problems, won’t be seen until at least 2 years following the end of treatment.

There has also been a deterioration in his speech at times, something that always puts us on edge.  We get in touch with the oncologist back home, who explains he is likely experiencing something known as recall.  This is when a child can show some of the symptoms that led to the initial diagnosis, in Zac’s case slurred speech and a change in behaviour and is because there is still inflammation and a ‘defect’ in the part of the brain where the tumour was removed.  During normal, healthy times, the body can compensate for this deficit, however if the child is very tired or unwell, it cannot, leading to the old symptoms recurring.  It is also worth noting that recurrence of symptoms can also be a sign of relapse, so these times can be very nerve-wracking.