May 1, 2009
Chemo Update
I have Primary Peritoneal Cancer which is explained in an earlier post. My third Chemo was yesterday, Thursday and went as scheduled. An early morning appointment with my Doctor, then 5 hours of being hooked up to the IV “tree” while my life-saving drugs are administered into my Portacath.
You may recall that the CA125 (the cancer tumor marker for my carcinoma) normal levels are 30 or below. My first one was 2000, one week later it was 2577. 2 1/2 weeks after my first Chemo, the level had dropped in half to 1244. This week, after my second Chemo, my CA125 level was an unbelievably LOW number. It was 83!!!!!!!!!!! So much closer to normal (30 or below) than my initial CA125 level of 2577!
CA 125 of 83! The level was so low that both my Son & I looked at each other and had the exact same thought…”It must be wrong, maybe they should run it again?” The Doctor said that if it had shown up in the normal level, she would have ordered it re-done, but since it wasn’t normal she felt it was an accurate reading. We shed tears of unbelievable joy. Since there were several other people who saw me cry, I shared with them that it was good news we had received — because it could have just as easily have been bad news and I didn’t want them upset about anything as they were also hooked up to “Chemo Trees”. One of these women made the correct assessment — “It’s miraculous!” she said. And she is right. I am on so many “prayer lists” and Portland Firefly wants to THANK YOU ALL AGAIN. It is working; God is answering these prayers for His purpose in me. Where will it lead?
My next procedure will be major surgery in mid-May. I am actually looking forward to the information that the surgery will provide to the Doctor and subsequently to me. I am not looking forward to the surgical recovery, but there are those who are available to help me where needed.
Thank you to all of you Prayer Warriors out there who are helping me have the strength to go through this process. Portland Firefly again deeply thanks you….
