Prednisone.......done

Tonight is Emily's last night of Prednisone. At dinner she will take her last 15mg and that's it for treatment.

All of the drugs Emily is on have bad potential side effects, including Prednisone. Of it's risks at her dosage and duration are stunting of growth, thinning of the skin, brittle bones. She's probably had all of these to some degree. It's also really hard on your liver and kidneys. We hope that damage will repair itself, it likely will. Her liver levels have been increased all the way through Chemo, and Prednisone has had it's role in that. It's also the drug that makes her bloated and puffy looking, in fact I hardly can image what the real Emily would look like at this point because of the toll Prednisone has played on her. But of all the side effects the one that has been the toughest are the mood swings. Each month for 5 days she's on this high dose and her personality changes greatly when she's on it. Some months worse than others but always some trouble with it.

I am grateful for drugs that have been able to help save my child, and Prednisone is a major player in the mix, but now it's time to leave it in the past. I hope as we move into the future, that research comes up with a more effective alternative with fewer side effects.