Well, its been awhile. But we'll get to that later. First the news from the oncologist. Last week I had a CAT scan (what kind of barium do you prefer - strawberry, vanilla or chocolate?). Yesterday we had an appointment with the Oncologist and he said my body was having a dramatic response to the chemo. The liver spots are smaller by over 50% and some he couldn't even see that used to be there. His bottom line was I couldn't be responding any better to the treatment. The CEA count however increased from 25 to 48 and we don't know why. The doctor didn't seem alarmed over the spike - we'll just have to see what it is next month.
So I am scheduled for 3 more months of the chemo. The end result is I will have 6 months of chemo then we see what is next. There won't be any surgery scheduled unless I am bleeding or obstructed in the bowel. So far I have no problems with that.
My weight is still holding its own and that also seems to be a big relief to the doctor. I tell Sandy that means more pie and ice cream - and her response has something to do with alternatives such as fruits and vegetables!
I continue to suffer from fatigue and sensitivity to cold. I am talking with other chemo patients and they suffer the same - there is no escape. I am learning that if I have a "big" day then the next day I might as well be prepared to sleep more.
Man we are busy! How did I ever have time to work? Of course - its 9:00 am by the time I get a couple cups of coffee down and get the daily newspaper read. So I figure if I get a couple of hours activity in the morning and a couple hours in the afternoon that's pretty good.
We have been getting out - to church events, car shows, chili feeds, art shows, furniture shopping, and visiting the kids and grandkids in Elbing. I also try to spend time in the garage doing simple things like cleaning windshields and scrubbing bugs off the paint. We put a new windshield in the Mazda Protoge last week and its sure nice to not have to see the cracks anymore. Any bets on how long it lasts before a rock pits it?
Fall is setting in here - and the new grass is growing good. We are so pleased to finally have a yard! We can't walk in it yet because we keep it wet all the time but it sure looks better than rocks and mud.
I am at the hospital as I write this - I got hooked up to the chemo and am captive now until done. And of course 2 more days on the pump. Its a cycle that can't be broken I guess. By now I am an experienced chemo person and know what to expect. Uggh - that can get depressing so I'll think about something else for awhile.
By the way - if you want to email me go ahead and use my AOL account garywgiles@aol.com
I monitor that almost daily and I forget to check the other account. I heard from some of you that its been awhile since I updated the blog so I'll try to update more frequently. Its just that I get busy on my non-chemo week (busy being a relative term compared to what busy used to mean).
Stay tuned - Gary
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