This is a updated from Sunday, August 4 This has been a week of change for me. Last Monday I had another CT Scan. This came about because of a continued elevation of the pancreatic blood marker CA19-9. Even though I was taking chemo, mine had doubled indicating the chemo was not working. I went back in on Wednesday to get the results of the CT scan and they were good. No new areas of cancer and one of the lesions on my liver had actually been reduced. This further confounded the doctors on what has been an atypical case of cancer. Part of the problem has been that they have never found a primary source of the cancer. Furthermore, the blood marker (Ca19-9) screamed pancreatic but the DNA testing came back colon. My Doctors conferred and Dr. Townsend contacted the DNA firm to make certain that they felt it was colon. They did so Wednesday we made a decision and are attacking the cancer as if it had an origin in the colon. This meant a total change in my chemo. I took the first treatment on Wednesday before I left the office. The treatment I am now on is called FLOFIRI. I take it every other Monday and then go home with an infusion pump for two more days. Then I am off for the rest of the infusion week and the next week As with any chemo, how the body reacts is different from day to day and almost hour to hour. I like the treatment and I am tolerating it well but it leaves me awfully weak. I basically have sat around for several days as I adjust. I did walk at the Mall several days, but not yesterday. I wanted to save everything for today because this is my day of worship and I wanted to be in Sunday School and church. I was able to do this so that is good. They tell me that my reactions to this chemo will actually diminish. The worst treatment is the first. I will see how well that holds up. In the meantime I have been fully approved for disability insurance and my insurance will kick in this month (60% of salary). Medicare part B next month, so all those things are moving along. Keep us all in your prayers. P.S. I have been asked what this means as to my long term prognosis. Pancreatic cancer is "sayonara." It is terminal at type 4b. There is no reprieve. Colon cancer is "Aloha." Aloha can mean hello or goodbye. I prefer the Hello. Type4b colon has about the same prognosis as pancreatic but there is a glimmer of hope if the chemo works. So my prayer is that it will work and I will get well.
Posted on: Mon, 05 Aug 2013 00:33:23 +0000
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