Another new medicine.....

We went back to Duke yesterday to see Dr. Prose. After some discussion, we came to the decision to begin the propranolol. This is the medication I mentioned in my earlier post that is used for blood pressure but has shown promising results in the treatment of hemangiomas. Caroline will be the first hemangioma patient at Duke treated with propranolol, so she will be making some history! We are very hopeful that this medicine will have positive results. I hate the thought of Caroline having to take MORE medicine (the poor girl has not known anything different in her short life), but Zack and I both agree that if this medication works to shrink the hemangioma, and we can possibly avoid surgery down the road, it is certainly the less invasive of the two. Caroline will take the propranolol 3 times a day, starting out with a very small dose and gradually stepping up the dose every few days until she reaches the targeted dose on day 12. She will need to have her blood pressure checked frequently and her blood sugar monitored. We will be doing that tomorrow at the pediatrician's office, and then will return to Duke again on Monday. How long she continues to take it will likely be based on the response of the hemangioma. I've spoken with several mothers whose children are taking it and have been following their stories. I have only heard positive things. It is still VERY new in the treatment of hemangiomas (still considered "experimental" by all accounts), but Zack and I felt comfortable that enough children have been on it for this purpose with no negative effects that we think it is safe to try. In fact, in my research I have discovered that the propranolol is actually a much safer drug in terms of the risk of long-term effects than the steroids she took for 5 months! Go figure! She had her first dose this morning and of course took it like a champ! I'm going to try to take pictures daily to really track her progress. Please hope and pray with us for great results!