It worked!

My CA125 numbers went down from 12 to 10! And my blood panel came back with everything normal! I would have danced a little happy dance right there in the office, but I was trying to keep that horrible little anticipatory nausea at bay. I was successful all the way up to the infusion center, where I lost it. Dang. We got the IV's put in and I think I basically slept most of the day. Ethan and Sarah came to hang out towards the end, and we visited with some new friends. She also has ovarian cancer, but for her it has spread quite a bit more. And she is doing the same chemo regimen including with the abdominal port. I am two rounds ahead of her, so it's interesting to compare notes.

So I thank all of you who did whatever version of good luck summoning, especially the crane builders. The doctors sounded optimistic. I asked again what happens next, and it sounds like I'll have an appointment with them one month from this coming Wed. when I do my very last chemotherapy, and they'll check my CA125 numbers again. They're considering opting out of doing a CT scan, because the numbers are so low, and if they don't go up, the chances of finding any tumor is small. At this meeting we'll set the date to take out the port. While taking it out, they'll also be able to do what's called a second look surgery with random biopsies. This will really tell the truth about if there are cancerous cells left. If there is a larger tumor growing, we can send a sample for an assay, but I sincerely believe they won't find anything!

1,000 Cranes

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The most incredible thing happened this evening! Alice and Kelsey (and Kelsey's mom, Molly) came by with the most amazing surprise for us- 1,000 colorful paper cranes suspended on a piece of black bamboo. They, along with other friends from Sarah's school, had been working on in for a while and just coincidentally happened to bring it over today, just after my post asking everyone to do things to bring good luck!! They hadn't even read that post yet, they just happened to be finished and it was time to bring it over! It is so beautiful, it completely blew me away and I could barely speak. We found a perfect spot for it hanging in the window of the front room.

Here's what it said in the card:

In Japan, they say that a thousand paper cranes will bring a lifetime of good luck. Perhaps it is because the cranes must be made by so many hands, or perhaps it is because so much time and energy is put towards the folding. We all wish you the best of luck in your battle.

And it was signed by about 25 people!

I always feel that when there is synchronicity, I am on the right path. I feel stronger now, heading into my next chemo session, and when I need a happy thought to get me through the day, I'm going to be thinking about those cranes!

A Request

Today is blood draw day, and I'll get the results at the oncologist meeting tomorrow morning before chemo. I really really really really hope the CA125 numbers either stay the same or hopefully go down. Last time, when it went up from 8 to 12, I got really upset even though I KNOW that it doesn't mean anything. It still sucked. And I don't need things that suck. Right now I only want things that make me feel better.

So, your job is to find a heads-up penny, wear your lucky underwear, cross your fingers (but not on both hands), toss a coin into a wishing well, carry a lucky charm, find a four leaf clover, blow out all your birthday candles with one breath, hang a horse shoe over your door (open end facing up), have a ladybug land on you, kiss the mezuzah, roll a lucky number 7, do things in sets of 8, make a wish at 11:11, kiss the Blarney stone, break a wishbone and get the big half, pray, knock on wood, rub a rabbit's foot (preferably a live one), make a wish on the first star, pet your good luck pig, rub the Buddah's belly, wear red..

Did I miss any?

Happy Thanksgiving!

So luckily my good week finally kicked in- we had an early Thanksgiving celebration with some of our (super wonderful) local family today! Complete with 20 lb perfectly cooked turkey, gravy, 2 kinds of sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, brussel sprouts (from the cruciferous family), the traditional "pink stuff", pumpkin pie, apple cake, cheesecake and tons of other yummys. I am stuffed, happy and very thankful!

NOT a good week

I just barfed my brains out. And have been having pain in my abdomen, some kind of crampy, some stabbing. Not horrible, but it doesn't feel good that's for sure. And my nose is bloody. And I've been a little depressed, so I've been hiding out a bit. And this is supposed to be my good week!

I went to a gynecologic cancer support group today, and was reminded that the particular drug combo I'm doing (and that I'm doing it IP abdominally as well as IV) is supposed to be one of the harshest. Everyone is always so surprised at how well I am handling it.

argh.

One more...

Coming out of the haze of the last treatment, and it is dawning on me that there is only ONE MORE ROUND TO GO! So, another month and I should be feeling better with all this behind me. Well, except for the abdominal port removal, not exactly sure when that happens. And more blood tests. And lots of finger crossing for no reoccurrences. But I guess I don't need to get ahead of myself.

Right now I'm just happy to have a week off.

Out of it...

My days thankfully are going by very quickly lately. I've got my line up of things I can take to get rid of the nausea, and some of them make me sleepy. I am all for dozing off and waking up with 4 hours already gone by. Then pretty soon it's time for bed and the next day is already here. Luckily Sarah has a second parent, as I'm not good for much around here except drooling.

3 more infusions left. 1 more bad one, and 2 more medium ones. That seems like a fairly doable amount. Now I'm just hoping that my numbers have time to go back down to those single digits again, this last blood test showed them at 12, up from 8... There is an error margin of + or - 20, which helps make it just about as vague as everything else that's been thrown at me. grrr.

ps. Making me happy lately- my new hats from Louse Bialik. A big box of them! They're made by a survivor of 111b breast cancer, so they are soft and comfy. Here's the contact info:

CJ Hats
Mary Ann Weiss
mare@cjhats.com
www.cjhats.com

I have so many hats (and a pink wig) now, I'm thinking of starting a hat bank after my hair grows back. Take one when you need one, add a few that you don't need any more. Maybe stationed at a local hospital unless they have rules against used clothes. I'll have to look into this.

Round 5, Part 1

I am dreading tomorrow and the next 2 weeks. I am literally sick to my stomach. I did have a few high points today- Sarah running into the living room shouting, "GUESS WHO'S OUR NEXT PRESIDENT?!!!". Also, my free scoop of Ben & Jerry's (Don't tell my MD...)

I have become comfortably numb

Well, maybe not comfortably, but I couldn't resist the reference! My latest joy is chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy. So the tips of my fingers and toes have partially lost their feeling. Not completely, but I'm sure it will get worse during the next two rounds. I was warned that this would probably happen around the 4th round, so I'm right on schedule. I'm taking vitamin B, which should help, and when chemo is done I'll eventually get back to normal, so I'm not too worried about it.