Friday, October 2, 2009

CEA now considered normal...barely

Thank you so much for your supportive messages, your kind words, positive thoughts, prayers, phone calls, visits, wisdom, EVERYTHING. Thank you for letting me air my frustration and fears. You guys are such an awesome group!

I got my blood numbers and at 3.4, I'm told that they are below what is considered normal and that is good.

While I am relieved at the trend in the right direction, I can't just settle for that, right? I grilled the doctor on the fact that everything I've read says that 2.5 and below is normal. They assured me that it depends on the labs and other things, and that for patients at MGH, 3.5 and below is considered normal. It does make me feel a bit like a remedial student, not expected to do the things that "normal" kids can!

Anyway, no more tests and blood tests for now. whew. Thank you so much for talking me off the ledge.

My next step: To make sure that my last surgery healed so that they can reattach my colon. I was supposed to do that on Monday but my butt is still so sore that I can't put it through that procedure. (They shoot a liquid into it. Lovely!) So I'm waiting on that for a few weeks.....One step at a time.

I have to say that getting positive news does so much for my attitude toward life. I can easily see how this could get someone totally down, and can really appreciate how heroic (for lack of a better word) it is for someone to have a positive attitude when facing a stream of bad news.

For now, though, I'm so happy to be where I am.

Much love to all of you,
Marie