Test day and moving forward

As I head to Hamilton today, I've got my fingers (toes, arms, legs) crossed for good results. It's test day.

First I'll head to the electroencephalogram (ECG) suite to test my heart health. It was strong and healthy at the beginning of my chemo regime in Hamilton, so I'm hoping that helped it stand up well to the chemicals. Sure, I huff and puff with exertion sometimes. Some activities make my heart beating very quickly, and it feels as though it's going to jump out of my chest. But that's usually in the weeks right after chemo, when my body is trying to process the toxic cocktail.

Then I'll head to the CT suite where I'll swallow the peach-flavoured radiactive juice and get hooked up to the I.V. that will provide contrast, both of which are designed to light up my insides during the computed tomography (CT) scan. This test will create photos of my abdomen, like the one seen below, that a radiologist will interpret.



I'll discuss these test results with my doctor tomorrow afternoon. That's when we'll know if the chemo and Olaparib did their job to shrink the tumour and kill those cancer cells. While I'll give blood tomorrow, I won't know my CA-125 right away. Before my last chemo, it was 77 (under 35 is normal). I was disappointed with that number, but my nurse seemed happy because it keeps getting smaller. I guess because I didn't have surgery to remove the tumour, it isn't dropping as quickly as I expect or want.

Good news, my ribs hurt less today. While the pain isn't completely gone, I can at least cough, sneeze and breathe deeply today. So maybe the pain is related to the chemo, gas or a gastrointestinal issue. Looking back at the side effects I've recorded over the course of my chemo, I noticed rib pain appears quite regularly. But this time it was far more intense, which has me worried. I'm happy I experienced this symptom just a day before my tests or else I would have fretted for longer.

I'm hoping to hear good test results tomorrow and head home with a big supply of Olaparib. Even if the tests show less than stellar results, at least we'll discuss a plan of action. It's fear of the unknown - and an overactive imagination - that I (and probably most cancer survivors) find difficult. I like action. When I know the plan, I can throw on my Xena, Warrior Princess outfit Patty mentioned yesterday, and do what's necessary to move forward.

Tina