More Good News

Today was chemo session 7.  I’m on the backside of the initial 12 chemo session regimen, hooray!  After we are done with session 12, we evaluate progress and revise the next treatment regimen according to the success or lack thereof of the current treatment.  So far, so good. In my pre-chemo meetings we review the latest blood work numbers. Key items considered are are kidney function, immune system function, liver function and the CEA marker.  Well my immune system, kidney and liver function are all still well within normal range!!  That means Jimmy can continue with his moderate red wine imbibement. That calls for a toast!🍷 The CEA number, which is a marker indicating tumor activity, dropped 30% down from 6.8 to 4.9.  A normal range number is under 3.4, unless you’re a smoker.  If you’re a smoker the normal number is 4.3.  According to Lee I’m a “smoker” as in “I’m “smokin hot” and therefore my Jimmy logic interprets my CEA number is almost in the normal range…even if I’m a bit abnormal.😆   

my physician’s assistant, Mary Beth, hands me the report. Smiles all around!

 I’ve truly been blessed during my chemo experience. Not only has there been positive response against the tumors, there have been minimal side effects..truly a double dip!  Before I started chemo, Dr. P listed about 20 common side effects in my treatment regimen. My side effects have been pretty much just some fatigue and intermittent voice fluctuations. However the past couple of treatments have also resulted in hiccup attacks on the day following my chemo session.  The hiccups were so acute after chemo session 6 that I could not sleep one night.  This is a rather odd side effect, but that is consistent with my otherwise odd behavior. For this session they have cut the steroid pre-meds in half. Steroid is used to counter possible nausea and allergic reaction to the chemo drugs. Since I have had NO nausea or allergic reaction, they felt that reducing the steroid pre-meds might resolve the problem.The only bad news of the day was that my two favorite recliners (the ones with the views of the Santa Rita mountains) were already occupied.  Poo!  But I just settled in another recliner, adjusted the pillows, plugged in my ear buds, plugged the IV into my port and envisioned my tumors melting away with each drop of Avastin while enjoying the tunes of McCoy Tyner, John Coltrane and Miles Davis. 

Life is good. Live life to its fullest!