It's been a whirlwind of a week. I've experienced some enjoyable events and then some medical tests. I've had some good news and then some concerning news. It's been a bit of a roller coaster, but I'm really no worse for wear at the end of it all.
Thanks to some wonderful, generous friends, the highlight of my week was spending 2-1/2 days at a cottage up near Wiarton. It was beautiful, restful and exactly what the family needed. I am so thankful we had the opportunity to get away for a few days as a family.
Of course, that getaway was surrounded by medical appointments - with an extra one thrown in for good measure. Now that I'm not trying to post on my Blackberry, which is quite difficult, I can go into more details.
Bright and early Tuesday morning, I did my CT scan. I drank the peach flavoured tang-like CT juice, chatted with an interesting woman, got my scan done, went for bloodwork and visited my doctor. He showed me a hot read of the CT, which are small and somewhat smudgey. According to his reading, and as I posted, all the cancer appeared to be gone.
But I got a copy of the radiologist report yesterday when I had chemo and the bigger, brighter picture showed the tumour they're tracking for the clinical trial shunk slightly, but it's not gone. Imagine my disappointment. I almost teared up right there in the chemo suite.
So, back in May, I had a 2 cm tumour in the right lower quadrant of my abdomen, along with abdominal caking and significant ascities fluid. My CT scan on Tuesday showed the peritoneal deposit is now 18.3 mm (shunk by a whole 1.7 mm - yes, that's a bit of sarcasm). The report says the ascities has decreased in volume, the additional deposits in the abdomen and pelvis have decreased in volume and there are no new lesions. There are also no aggressive bony lesions.
Overall it's good, but I had digested the news from Dr. H on Tuesday and assumed cancer no longer made its home in my abdomen. I was doing the happy dance.
C, the research nurse, reassured me the news is good; especially after only my third treatment. She also pointed to my CA-125 reading, which is now 130, when it was once 659.
She said, the treatment is working. So why do I feel a little dissapointed? I guess it's my impatience showing again. And the fact that I felt like I was slightly mislead on Tuesday. I want it all gone - NOW! Sigh.
I asked about the Olaparib and whether it helps remove the cancer now or whether it's more for keeping it away after I'm done treatment. C said it helps kill the cancer with the chemo, but it's real function is to keep new tumours from forming after I'm done the chemo treatments because it prevents those cells from repairing themselves.
We talked about how miraculous the timing of my reoccurence and getting into the study - and getting the drug. It really is quite amazing. I have to believe it will work simply because of the sequence of fortunate events.
I also had a blood work glitch this week. As I blogged earlier, my hemoglobin on Tuesday was only 98. While this would be perfectly acceptable for chemo, if I weren't in a clinical trial, the Olaparib protocol says my HgB must be 100. So I had to go give blood at the Wiarton hospital on Thursday morning to see if it had risen enough for us to make the trek to Hamilton on Friday. We were partially hoping for another day at the cottage and partially hoping to not screw up the chemo schedule set.
C called on Thursday afternoon to say whatever I'd done worked because my hemoglobin was 104 (I didn't drink much (according her her instructions) because a slightly dehydrated blood stream can boost the red blood cell count).
Yet, I had to give blood again on Friday morning because the trial protocol dictates I have complete blood work done within two days of chemo (and they C didn't request all the tests from Wiarton because different hospitals do them different ways). So yesterday morning, I had blood drawn for the third time this week. Along with the CT needle and my chemo I.V., I was stuck five times in four days!
I'm a little concerned my hemoglobin dropped so low after my third treatment. That doesn't bode well for the last two treatments. When I asked C about it yesterday, she agreed we'd probably have to investigate ways of increasing these red blood cells before the last two treatments. She mentioned three options:
1. A drug that I'd inject into myself to boost the HgB. It's downside is it also affects creatin levels, which are also carefully monitored. Personally, I cringe at the idea of having to give myself needles. I don't even watch when the professionals stick needles into me. How could I do it to myself? Argh.
2. Postpone treatment by a week to give my body longer to recover. As someone who wants to get through this process as quickly as possible, this option doesn't necessarily appeal to me - especially when it doesn't mean an extra day at a lovely cottage. Of course, I'd do it if I had to, but I want this done, over, finito, complete.
3. Give me a blood transfusion. This sounds like the best option to me.
We'll discuss the plan of attack at my next doctor's appointment on Sept. 15.
I got my chemo yesterday with one stick. It was on the back of my right hand, which made playing Uno a bit difficult, but do-able. I'm done round four and am 2/3 of the way through my treatment. I'm a little tired today and my stomach is a bit upset from all the drugs, but overall I'm doing well. I just have to get through the next four or five days and I'll be on the right side of this treatment.
Then only two more!
Thanks for all the wonderful congratulatory emails. I feel like I misled everyone a bit, but as C said, the news is still good. The treatment is working and I'm on my way to killing the cancer.
The cancer slayer,
Tina
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