72 weeks! It's been a long time. Once more back to the Nuffield Ward at NHNN for another day of the usual tests and trials. Very little new to report. Ana has gone back to her supervisory role and there is a new nurse, Tiggy, who is the primary person during the day. She is still learning the role and unfamiliar with exactly how long everything takes. As a result, I have to go back in a week to have the Echocardiogram at UCL because she booked it too late. No too inconvenient for me because I live only an hour away, but this might be more problematic for others.
The tests were as usual, although this time I did fall over on the 6 minute walk and this meant that they didn't finish the test. No harm done.. I was all up for continuing but they weren't.
The only new thing was a piece of paperwork I had to review, which was about an amendment to the trial after the 96-week period is over. Basically they will move everyone onto the drug after this, but because the drug dose has to be standardised, everyone will be on 10ml per day regardless of how much you take now.
In terms of the trial itself, I think the expectations are now that the drug will simply halt progression and nothing more. Dr Krishna repeated the same thing when I was there last at the 48-week update. While this is disappointing compared to the high level of expectations at the start of the trial, I'll take it. Hopefully this is enough to clear the NHS hurdle for providing the drug in the future.
Hope you're all fine
Angus