So, no chemo and I get a blood test in July and a CT scan in August.
More specifics, if you are interested.
Last CEA was 12.0
This CEA was 14.2
Though a five-year-old can tell you that 14 is bigger than 12, my doctor considers that change to be stable. I'll take it.
Also, the tumor in my lower abdomen that was causing bleeding shows up only on MRI and PET, but not on CT. We wouldn't normally do the MRI and PET anyway, so comparing CT to CT, my oncologist would say things are stable.
And, a tumor in that specific area is not typically treated using chemo.
So, all that convinced me that chemo would do more harm than good.
The first thing I did (I hope - it is a bit of a blur) was to give thanks to God. One of the next things I did was to sign up for sculling lessons.
Two funky-fun happenings that I want to share with you:
- When I got my blood drawn, they typically leave a line connected to my port, so that they can hook it up to chemo a few hours later. I was futzing over what kind of tape they should use to cover the needle and the nurse said to me, "I don't need to leave this in here. You won't be getting chemo today. I can feel it." I just LOVE that kind of vibe. Especially when he was right.
- Also, he drew quite a few vials of blood, each to check my red count, white count, protein, etc. Every vial filled without a problem. but each time they drew blood for the CEA, the blood flow would stop halfway into the tube. He had to restart and draw the vial for my CEA three times. Another nurse stood watching it, too. They finally asked me to not breathe while he drew it, and it worked. I guess I was a bit hesitant to learn the number.
Thank you so much for being there. Really and truly. Enjoy this amazing day!
Love,
Marie
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