Bad news: Tumor marker number is up over a thousand again to the tune of 1092.
Good news: CT scan shows the spots on the liver seem to have all but disappeared.
Bad news: lots more fluid around the right lung and I will have a thoracentesis done tomorrow to drain anywhere from 1 to 2 litres of fluid. They'll run some tests on the fluid they draw out and I should have those results in 2-3 days. The fluid is not in the lung itself. It is in the chest cavity surrounding the lung. I'll have an x-ray done before my next treatment to see what shows up (more fluid, spots, anything).
I did have treatment today. We stuck with the Avastin, but I am no longer receiving the Taxotere. That was switched to something called Navelbine now. (Oh goody...a whole new set of possible side effects.) I'll let you know how this one works out for me in time. The plan is to continue with treatments every other week, now on Wednesdays.
Sorry if I'm not posting as often as some of you might like. When I have a crummy day I tend to not have any desire to sit and type. And I've had a lot of crummy days lately. You can always feel free to call for an update if you'd like, though. Never be afraid to call. Although I may not always be the best at returning calls either, if you leave a message it does me worlds of good just to know you're out there thinking of me. I ALWAYS love to see comments posted here too!
I guess that's about all I learned today. Questions anyone?
Q: Am I nervous about tomorrow's procedure?
A: Absolutely! The thought of a needle going into my chest makes me a little anxious.
Q: Do they know why my tumor marker number is on the rise?
A: Not specifically. Could be any number of explanations. Some drugs just don't work for everyone, or they stop working after a while. Another possibility is that certain cancer cells are not responding and those are the cells that are messing up that number. Could be there are cells elsewhere that just don't show up in this scan. But as long as we keep treating we should hopefully manage to bring that number down again, in time.
Anyone else? Questions? Buehler? Buehler?
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1 comment:
Glad to hear that the spots on the liver seem to have disappeared. That's great. Hope your procedure goes well. I will keep you in my prayers. It's great hearing from you. Lots of people asking how you are at Muth. I print your blog for everyone to read. Hang in there the prayers keep coming.
Jean
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