The Campbells Trick or Treat

Jenna is a pink butterfly and Tyler a green dragon. Alex and Megan escorted the animals around their neighborhood on a fairly good weather Halloween.

Baltimore's on-air star

Was recently featured (10/25/10) on Baltimore's Channel 11 "Woman's Doctor" by Donna Hamilton. My oncology nurse had called to ask if I'd appear with my oncologist Dr. Dwight Im discussing ovarian cancer.To see what aired go to http://www.wbaltv.com/health/25504575/detail.html. Click on the video showing my colorful chemotherapy spreadsheet. The accompanying written article incorrectly states I still have my uterus and ovaries. They were cancerous and surgeon Dr. Neil Rosenshein cut all out Sept. 26, 2006, before I started first chemotherapy.

Late September was the 4th anniversary of my ovarian cancer IIIC diagnosis. Late October was my 26th anniversary of working at the U.S. Naval Academy. And the beat goes on.

CA125 dropped 24.8 pts to 92.3

CA125 dropped into double digits (always good news) when I got results of labs back during the 21st avastin treatment 10/14/10. Yeah! Bad news is that my magnesium was down to 1.1 necessitating getting 6 grams of mag (2gm/hour) so it added three hours to my OPC visit. Avastin only takes 1/2 hour so I was able to leave by 4:45 p.m. I had promised to go home to let the dogs out and feed them before heading to Megan's for dinner with the grand kids. SIL Alex has been in California on business most of the week. I texted Megan that I probably was going to be late but still managed to get there around 6 p.m. to help with dinner and bedtime rituals. Once all were settled around 9 p.m. I headed home.

4th Anniversary of OVC surgery Sept. 26

Four years ago I never thought I'd still be alive in 2010. Sunday was the 4th anniversary of my ovarian cancer surgery. Tyler turns four on 11/11/10 so I can easily track how long I've known about my cancer by adding several months to Tyler's age.

CT scan stable; Avastin continued

I used to love the word "lithe." It's an adjective meaning bending readily; pliant; limber; supple; flexible: the lithe body of a ballerina. Of course I never could be described as such. Now the favorite description of myself is "unremarkable." Cancer changed me. The radiologist uses the word "unremarkable" of my recent CT scan findings. His impression: "stable exam without evidence for metastatic disease." I show small periportal lymph nodes; the largest has grown from 1.4 cm in April 09 to 1.7 cm on 9/13/10. My CA125 is 117.1 (normal is between 0-35).

Yesterday I was jealous of the gal across from me. Her CA125 was 9 and they were releasing her from chemo to go home and let her hair grow back. Yes, I have fine, white, thin, straight hair and my fingernails and toenails look better. Neuropathy still a problem in feet and fingertips but my acupunturist is trying to regenerate nerve endings and build my immune system. One nodule adjacent to my vena cava has been stable so radiologist thinks it likely is benign. Benign is another new favorite word. Cancer-free would be the best. Right now, I'm happy with stable and unremarkable.

Girls with Pearls outing

Sunday was the 2nd outing for the "Girls with Pearls" group. 26 women went to see the noonish showing of "Eat, Pray, Love" followed by a early dinner at a local Italian restaurant. Scenery and acting was good, story a little slow in parts but I could watch Julia Roberts read the phone book. Friend Beth Palmer Martin and I enjoyed the food and company as well.

Where there's life, there's hope my mother said

I found this quote in the paper a while ago. "Hope arises when your situation seems uncertain, when your well-being is threatened. Hope is born in the belief that no matter how dire the current circumstances may be, it’s possible that your life can still turn out well. Hope prevents you from collapsing into despair by sustaining your belief that there’s something that can be done to turn your situation around."