It's hard to believe it has been almost a month since I posted here. That's because nothing was happening. I've been doing the final, preventive few rounds of chemo, which were diluted down a bit to allow my blood to recover better in the off weeks. That meant relatively few side effects, and thus not much to read about.
On Monday of this week I went in for another round, and gave blood for another CEA test. This is the test for tumor markers, which can indicate cancer activity. It takes them a while to get the results of the test, but this time it took 3 days, as their machine was broken. Wednesday, when I went in to get "de-pumped" (have my chemo pump removed) they finally had the results.
As you may recall, I started off with more than 8,000, after treatment it dropped to the 200's, and after this last surgery was down to 12. Our goal is a number less than 5. As I was waiting for the de-pumping, Pam asked the nurse for the results. She had it, but didn't share with her. Then my phone rang, and it was my oncologist (who wasn't in the office that day.) It was his job to break the news: CEA marker was at 50.
It's not clear at all what that means--maybe nothing. To shed a little light on it, he ordered a CT scan, which I took yesterday. That blueberry taste they put in the barium contrast solution is one that I will never forget, and always associate with some nasty process. We'll have the images on Monday, when I go back in for lab testing and (hopefully) to see the doc.
I've been making grim jokes, but Pam doesn't seem to think they are very funny. We've been here before, and we can deal with being here again. Somehow.
In the meantime, we plan on taking a short trip this weekend to break in our little Bambi trailer and take our minds away from our routine for a while. Watch for something more early next week, as I find out the news myself.
Cheers,
Clem
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3 comments:
We're thinking of you as we start to unfurl our freak flags.. wish you were here. Enjoy your Bambi-time :)
I'll be thinking about you guys, and anxiously awaiting the results. It is so past time to put this behind you. But it's not that simple, is it?
I really hate to hear about the blueberry taste. My parents have blueberry bushes and I look forward to the gallons and gallons of blueberries we get every June. I would really hate to associate bad things with blueberries!
You still amaze us and you have put up quite a battle! Wish you strength to keep up and keep positive! Jerry & Carole
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