Ass Kickin' in Progress

Yesterday I met with Nurse Prac Lisa to discuss the results of my PET.  Normally I would be meeting with Dr. H to discuss results like this, but for some reason the world did not stop for the results of my PET scan.  From what I understand Dr. H is enjoying time with her family on Spring Break.  Okay, okay, I'll let it slide this time.  Who knew it wasn't ALL about me?!?  ;)

So here we go, I have details about the results.  From the report itself, this is concerning my liver:

"Currently there are one or possibly two adjacent metastases within the dome of the right hepatic lobe as well as another subtle lesion within the right hepatic lobe inferiorly.  Previously there were at least 20 metabolically active hepatic metastases."

Hello?!?  20 down to 2, possibly 3 lesions?!?  WOW!  I couldn't be happier! 

As for the bone metastases, unfortunately the Neulasta injection I've been getting to boost my WBC, obscures visualization in the scan so we are unable to compare the bone mets to the results from my last scan.  Nurse Prac Lisa did not seem to be too concerned about this and quite frankly, neither am I.  My chemo cocktail includes an infusion called Zometa, which is specifically given for treating the bones, keeping the bone mets under control.  In past scans we have seen improvement in the bone mets while I've been on Zometa, so I have high hopes it's still doing it's thing!  And in the grand scheme of things, our main priority here is the liver (because it's a functioning organ) and getting the liver mets under control... which we are!!  Woohooo!! 

Btw, you won't believe what my CA 27-29 tumor marker is down to... on Feb 29th it was at 92 and on Mar 14th it's down to 81.2!!

Yep, I'd say there's an ass kickin' going on!

The Results Are In

Can you believe it... A cold front will move into the Austin area later today, bringing thunderstorms from late afternoon through early Friday morning.  What?!  Oh, oh, oh, you're wanting to know the results from my PET scan.  Well, there's nothing wrong w/ a little weather update...

 

So I don't know all the details (I will find out more next week when I meet w/ the Nurse Prac), but we do know that there is overall improvement concerning the liver metastasis.  Can I get a hell yes!!  I'm SO excited!  I just knew we were going to get good news!  Thanks to everyone who has been thinking of and praying for me.  Your support means the world to me!  After battling infection after infection... after infection... I needed this good news.  The nurse I talked to on the phone said Dr. H couldn't be more pleased w/ the results.  The chemo cocktail I'm on is looking like a winner.  Yay!!

Cheers!

This my friends is the Barium I'm required to drink before my CT and PET scans (1 of several glasses).  It's a contrast agent used to highlight specific parts of the body and make them easier to see... it temporarily changes the way x-rays or other imaging tools interact with your body.  I can't say it's pleasant to drink, but I guess I've had enough scans that I'm used to it.  Of course I think the umbrella helps... makes me feel like I'm drinking a pina colada on a beach somewhere.  I left the package of umbrella's w/ the receptionist at Tx Oncology hoping I'd get a smile out of the next person that came in dreading the milky white substance.  Fingers crossed it did!  I tell ya... it's the little things! 

 

So Cheers!  Cheers to kickin' cancer's ass! 

Finally!!

It's about damn time!  I had to revise what I was calling "Feeling Better February" to "Feeling Better March!"  Hmmmm, doesn't have as nice of a ring to it, but you now what, I'll take it!  I'm off antibiotics and my MRSA sores are healing the way they should be.  I don't want to jinx myself, but it's looking like I'm infection free!  Woohoo!!  

 

The last few months haven't been fun, but through it all, my CA 27-29 tumor marker has surprisingly shown a downward trend.  Now, before I get too excited, I have to remind myself that this is a marker that isn't 100% reliable... used more as guide that "should" (in theory) correlate to what's going on.  It's a blood test that is drawn w/ the rest of my labs that I can get more often than the much more reliable images of a CT or PET scan.  "If" my tumor marker is going down, I "should" expect to see positive results from a PET scan.  However back in Oct, before I started that drug trial down in San Antonio, even though my tumor marker was steadily increasing, a PET scan at the time showed an overall improvement.  Ya, doesn't make sense.  When I received the good news of that PET scan I was of course relieved and excited, but at the same time I was pissed for getting so worked up over the tumor marker increasing week after week... I had obviously been expecting bad news from the PET.  So for awhile there I have to say I lost faith in the tumor marker b/c I couldn't trust it. 

 

BUT now that the tumor marker is going down (moving in the right direction)... maybe I'll give it one more chance to redeem itself.  I have a PET scan on Wednesday and I just KNOW it's going to show good results!   I mean come on, the CA 27-29 tumor marker doesn't lie!!!!  Oh wait!  It does... Well, at least I can accept my love/hate relationship w/ my tumor marker!!  This time will be different!  You'll see!!

 

Lets take a closer look at what my CA 27-29 tumor marker has been up to! 

(Note: Normal range is less than 35)

 

"A day in the life of my CA 27-29 tumor marker"

08/01/11  160

08/17/11  244.9

08/29/11  315.4

09/07/11  278.8

09/15/11  271.1

09/20/11  304.5

10/04/11  320.6

10/17/11  412.6  (At this time, even though PET showed improvement, I decided to participate in the drug trial in S.A.)

November (I was not tested for this tumor marker while on the study)

12/05/11  (Results from CT showed more cancer on my liver so I was pulled from the trial... Back to the drawing board!) 

12/07/11  (New chemo cocktail begins.  Unfortunately I was not tested to see what my tumor marker was at this time)

12/28/11  714.6  (Yowzers!  That's high!  Wish I knew what the marker was when I started this cocktail)

01/05/12  343.7

01/18/12  210

02/01/12  132.8

02/08/12  201.3

02/15/12  127.7

02/29/12  92  (Woohoo!  Double digits!!)

 

My next PET scan is this Wednesday... so we'll see how accurate the tumor marker is this go around.  I'm hoping to get the results of the PET by the end of this week.  I'll keep you posted with the good news!!  ;)