Infection

Monday 16 April evening

The foyer d'infection that scans had shown in her right lung since Wednesday last week, has actually grown despite the antibiotics. Lara's treating physician rushes in and breaks the news to us. She is one of those doctors with a poker face; impossible to tell whether she is pessimistic, hopeful or convinced of either. They cannot tell, she says, if it is viral, bacterial or fungal.The only way to find out what they are looking at would be to extract fluid from the lung, but they hesitate to perform an invasive procedure at this point. She is too weak.

After consulting an infectiologist (if that is the term), they have decided to change the antibiotic regime. The want to switch to Biclar (clarithromycin), member of the true stalwarts among antibiotics. I don't know if the Ceftazidime and Targocid will discontinued as a consequence, either both or one of them. Forgot to ask. In addition they will administer AmBisole, a very strong antifungal, also around since many years. In order to better tolerate it, she receives first preparatory medication (anti-allogen).

As I write this, bedside, at around 7:00PM, the Dafalgan has lowered her temp to a decent 37.3C, but she is still limp and listless at first glance. Nonetheless, her mind is all over the place and she engages me in conversation. Even participates in solving the Jumbles in the newspaper. (And getting it bang on.) Wants to know what I had for dinner Friday night and what I talked about with my companion at the Opera. And why don't I find out if there is a good action movie playing; that would take my mind of things, she says.

"The most important thing is that the bone marrow comes out OK. The rest we can fight. I will pull through this!" Let us root for that, folks. Tomorrow afternoon, we should know more.