Another good sign

Yes, I still feel terrible coping with the side effects from round three of chemotherapy, but I got more good news yesterday, which indicates the surgery and chemo are doing their jobs. So at least I know the suffering is not for naught.

My CA-125 level dropped significantly.

The CA-125 is a blood test that measures the protein (called an antigen) in blood. It can be used to diagnose ovarian cancer, but it's not an absolute (it seems nothing really is with this disease, which makes it so hard to find).

The level is useful for those who are being treated or followed up after treatment, and whose CA-125 was high at the time of diagnosis. While it should not be the only measurement physicians use to measure the disease, it can help indicate if treatment is working or a reoccurence.

The normal value in most labs for a CA-125 level is <35.

On April 27, my CA-125 level was 511, which worried me because it was so high. Imagine how I freaked out when my level hit 946 on May 19! I'd already been treated with one round of chemo and was just experiencing the side effects of the second. I despaired that this type of chemo wasn't working for me and the cancer was continuing to grow rampant.

But yesterday my oncology nurse called to say my CA-125 level is now 70. Whew! According to a book I've been reading, the level should ideally be normal after the third treatment (my blood test before my next chemotherapy treatment), although this may depend on how high the CA-125 result when I started treatment.

The crux of this biology lesson is my cancer is responding to the treatment. The surgery removed the big tumours and the chemo continues to do its job.

So I deal with the pain and tiredness again today, which unfortunately makes me pessimistic. For now, I'll deal with the physical side effects and their mood-sapping ability, but underneath I'm thrilled to know my cancer is going away and one day, I'll be able to live a normal life again.

I know that in a few days, when I'm feeling better, I'll be able to reflect on that and celebrate all the promising things the good news brings.

Tina