Megan with hair

Yes my daughter has enough to provide me a wig.

I once had similar locks.

CT scan good, CA125 bad

Terri Rowley returned from hot tubbing with her sisters in western Maryland to send me the results of my latest (3/23/12) CT scan.

New very small left pleural effusion (small amount of fluid between the outer wall of the left lung and the sac membrane that surrounds the lungs). "An oblong density adjacent to the right pericardium (near the heart) measures 1.8 cm as before; however, density is decreased significantly since prior exam, suggesting that it may be a necrotic (dead) node at this time. The small nodule previously noted at the right base has also decreased significantly in density." Nothing in abdomen or pelvis. This sounds good, right?

But CA125 (measure of cancer activity) was 155.2 in January and up to 205.7 on 3/23/12. Not good.

I'm a dichotomy. Dr. Im is having me continue on etoposide (oral chemo) but am supposed to see Dr. Rosenshein about future treatment. It's a good news, bad news type of thing.

Asked to speak at Nat'l Cancer Survivor's Day

Reverend Dedera Baker, the minister at Weinberg's OPC and a long-time friend, called to ask if I'd speak at Mercy's National Cancer Survivor's Day event, Sunday, June 3, at 2:30 p.m. in the hospital's new Bunting Center. I just laughed and asked what made her think I'd still be around in June? When I asked why they wanted me to speak she said it was because of my sense of humor. That and, I bet, because I'm one of the few patients whose paperwork has filled seven folders in Dr. Neil Rosenshein's office. Fortunately I'll be one of three speakers and only have to talk about 5 minutes. You know me, that should be a piece of cake.

Jenna is a love

The joys of my weekend are my grandchildren. Jenna is very loving. Of course, she really wanted bites of my bagel with cream cheese and rubarb/strawberry jam. Horses are her passion du jour as Legos are Tyler's. Megan took them to the Columbia library to get library cards. Tyler signed the back of his card and the librarian was impressed that Jenna could spell her first name at 2. And yes, while Jenna's hair is getting in her eyes, I don't have to worry about that. The new chemo I'm on is taking my hair again.