Better

I knoooooooooooow!  It's been awhile! 

So let me catch you up to speed!  Over the last 5 weeks I've been on a Carboplatin/Gemzar/Herceptin cocktail (for those of you who talk "cancer" and "cancer treatments").  I get infusions once a week for 2 weeks and then I'm off a week.  I was pulled from the clinical trial I was on and started this new treatment for a couple of reasons...

1.  My tumor marker was increasing

2.  I started having that pain in my right side (what I sometimes refer to as the liver quiver) and

3.  The CT scan ultimately showed that the lesions on my liver were increasing in size (which explains 1 & 2)

Since I have started this newer cocktail, my tumor markers have steadily decreased AND I no longer have the pain in my right side.  These are both AWESOME signs that this cocktail is working!  Or at least it's doing a hell of a lot better than the last couple of cocktails I've tried!  Now, you all know about my "love/hate relationship" w/ my tumor markers (I mean "60% of the time, it works every time"), but for the last couple of months they have surprisingly been spot on compared to my physical well being.  I'm scheduled for a CT scan next week so I won't know for sure what's going on until then.

Unfortunately, I've experienced some pretty rough side effects with this newer cocktail so I wasn't able to fully enjoy my Thanksgiving week w/ family in town.  This newer cocktail originally included Tykerb (an oral drug that I've previously taken), but for some reason the side effects this time around were unbearable.  Thankfully we've worked out the kinks and Dr. H pulled the Tykerb from the cocktail and I'm FINALLY feeling better.  I can't say I'm feeling great, but better is good!

So here's to a better tomorrow... and a better CT next week.  I'll keep you posted w/ the results...