Cancer numbers up but still on avastin

My CA125 numbers continue to climb (up 27.6 pts since 6/10 to 112.0). No longer in double digits. Crap. Cancerous node increased from 14mm x 11mm to 15mm x 12mm. Itsy bitsy growth is "not statisically significant." Dr. Im decided to continue Avastin for 3 more treatments, then order another CT scan. If numbers & node continue to grow, he will add carboplatin (chemo) to the mix. But probably not until October so I'll be wigless thru the summer months. Yeah!

Nothing much good on T.V. so have been reserving books at the library online and then reading a lot this summer. Pretty much lite fare except for Alice Roosevelt Longworth's bio which was thick hard cover and discussed more politics and less about her life than I would have liked. Work full-time and babysit grandkids one day each weekend.

Lastest CT scan says nodes stable

Yeah!! Nurse Terri Rowley e-mailed me that the latest CT scan I had 6/23/10 appears stable. Dr. Im will look at it before my next OPC appointment on July 1. He will probably order 3 more treatments of Avastin, the biological which I've been on since August. That means 3 more months of hair and nail growth. Good stuff.

Tomorrow is Megan and Alex's 6th anniversary. I'll babysit the grandkids while M&A go out to celebrate. Dylan and Christine are spending the day at Eastport 'Rockin, an area of Annapolis where roads will be blocked off for bands, booze and general hi-jinks despite temps in the mid-90s.

CA125 headed upward, not good

Started Avastin 8/20/09. CA125 was 89.3 when Dr. Im put me on the biological drug. After going down as low as 46.4 (12/3/09) and 46.5 (4/29/10), it went back up to 84.4 yesterday. Terri Rowley scheduled me for a CT Scan 6/23/10 to find out what's going on. The most recent 4/19/10 CT Scan said the 3 cancerous nodes still in my body were stable. Am not going to panic, but it's depressing. I had hoped the Avastin, which I'm tolerating well, would hold the nodes (or decrease them) for another year or more at least. I've just started to get some of my energy back despite recent flare-ups with acid reflux which my gastroenterologist is addressing with medication.

Zig zag means stable

Had my 14th Avastin treatment 5/20/10. Only needed 2 grams of magnesium along with the Avastin but my CA125 went back up. It was 62.5 which was up 16 pts. As long as it isn't a trend, the zig zag is considered "stable." I'd prefer continually downward but keeping positive.

Jenna turned one on May 15 so the family took photos to mark the occasion. Tyler is 3.5. You can see why Jenna is my sunshine.

Today Tyler and his Dad, Alex, got to see the Blue Angels perform over the Severn River from VIP seats at USNA. They pronounced the show awesome. Tyler also liked riding the shuttle bus to and from the academy to the stadium where they parked. An old Blue Angels plane is on display at the stadium so he was able to see a plane up close.

A Hug from Dr. Im

Went to Weinberg OPC yesterday to get the results of my CT scan and find out whether Dr. Im would continue Avastin treatments (I've had 12 so far) or do some other protocol. Nurse Joanne Vendetti drew my blood for labs and sent it off. Told me my magnesium count was 1.2 which is low so I needed 4 grams of mag (2 hours by IV). So she got me started on that. Dr. Im came by about 11:30 am, hugged me and said my CA125 had gone down. It was 46.5 which was down 17.2 points. (0-35 is normal) Yeah! My 4/19 CT scan results were: "Stable findings in chest, abdomen and pelvis since January 2010." Double yeah! Avastin appears to be holding the cancer in 3 nodes steady at 2 centimeters or less. Good news going into Mother's Day (5/9) and Jenna's first birthday (5/15).

Krisko-Campbell-Jones Dinner

Hugh's Dad, who is buried at Arlington, was honored in a D.C. ceremony along with some other veterans who died in Vietnam prior to qualifying to be on the Wall. Hugh's mom, Claudette, Deborah, Hugh and Andrew were among the family to attend. Afterwards they flew to the Bahamas for a vacation and then spent the night at the Campbells when they returned. Tyler and Jenna enjoyed seeing Andrew and we went out to dinner to have a chance to visit.

Completed Avastin #12, due for CT scan

Thursday (4/8) completed Avastin treatment #12. CA125 went down 7.9 pts to 63.7. Nurse Holly Freeman labeled the zigzag pattern it's been doing since the beginning of 2010 as "stable." Still above the 0-35 normal range. ONC Nurse Terri Rowley set me up with a CT scan on 4/19 so the results will be back before Dr. Im needs to determine orders for my next scheduled treatment on 4/29.

Am feeling pretty good. Sometimes painful neuropathy in my feet is annoying and makes me gimpy. Hair still recuperating but not the texture or thickness it once was. But enough so that I don't wear my wig. Fortunately I don't have to look at myself. Longer daylight hours have lifted my seratonin level so I feel happier. Took Ditto to the groomer today for his summer cut. After 80+ weather it's dropped to the 60s but buds are popping and colorful foliage is appearing. Yeah!