April 10, 2009

Second Doctor’s Visit & Second Chemo

Posted in Health, Life, Personal tagged CA125, chemo, peritoneal cancer, portacath at 1:33 am by pdxfirefly

    Yesterday, April 9, 2009 I had my second Doctor’s visit and my second chemo session.   Again, my Son accompanied me to the Doctor’s.  We had an 8:45 am appointment which lasted until 11:00 am.   We were either talking to the Physician’s Assistant , PA, (doctors assistant) who answered some of our questions, or talking to the doctor who answered the rest of our tough questions, or I was being examined by the Doctor.  So it was a long 2 hours, but a productive time.   I really like my Doctor and I think we are a  good fit in that we understand each others values and I respect her expertise and value her guidance.  We are completely on the same team and she is the quarterback.  I feel so blessed to have been directed to her care.

     Then I started my second session of chemotherapy.   They are giving me the highest possible dosage in order to attack this aggressive cancer.  And that means that I can only have chemo once every three weeks.   But… it also means that it takes about 5 hours to administer all the drugs I need to get into my system.   My first chemo took 6 hours;  this one today only took 5 hours.   They were able to administer the drugs more quickly today because I did so well tolerating the drugs the first time.   

     I am receiving a total of 6 drugs and they are all administered through my newly installed (3/31) portacath.  This means that they insert the chemo needle into my port and administer the drugs through that.   When the bruising has healed on my portacath, I’ll be posting an actual picture of my portacath for you all to see.    Some people may have difficulty looking at the picture with the bruising present because it looks hurtful.  It does hurt a little bit while it is still healing, but I am so glad that this options was made available to me.  And a Tylenol every now and then does the trick for the minimal discomfort I experience occasionally. 

    The best news of the day came just as I was ready to leave the cancer center.  It was regarding my CA125.  http://www.medicinenet.com/ca_125/article.htm     The CA125 is the definitive blood test for ovarian and peritoneal cancer.  Normal levels are 30 or below.  The CA125 that was drawn on 3/13/09 while I was in the hospital came back at 2000.   There was a second CA125 done on 3/20/09 just before I had my first chemo session.   That CA125 came back at 2557;  it had gone up over 500 points in just one (very sick) week.  Then I had my first chemo.   I noticed last Wednesday (about 13 days after the first chemo)  that I seemed to have a tiny little bit of color in my cheeks which had been grey for months.  Was I really seeing what I thought I was seeing?  Thursday afternoon while getting ready for the Memorial Service, I noticed a little bit more color.  Hum-m-m?!!  I AM feeling better.  I think I am looking better.  I hope the color isn’t because I have a little fever.  No, I don’t feel hot;  maybe the chemo is really working.   And when my Son saw me yesterday for the first time in several days he said that I looked much healthier with better color not only in my face, but in my arms and hands as well.

      Well, Thursday (yesterday) 4/09/09,  I got my CA125 test back.  It had dropped to 1244 from 2557!   It is roughly HALF of the value it was three weeks ago prior to my first chemo.  No wonder I was a little bit tired these last few weeks!  Yeah Nobles!!  March on!  Get those bad boys!   We can do it!!!!  Do you hear the hope in my words?  I hope you do, because it is there.  Portland Firefly continues to thank you for your prayers.

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