Since my last update on May 2 I've had a couple of Neupogen shots and taken a course of antibiotics and I'm feeling very well. My oncologist called on Monday to let me know that my liver function tests (AST and ALT) drawn on Friday, May 9 were both normal (22 and 36), which was good for a great big cheer since that's the first time since November that they haven't been even slightly elevated. I had my first follow up scan Tuesday and the results are a little puzzling. I had the scan at the hospital where I work for insurance reasons, so comparison is a little dicey. As best the oncologist and I can tease out, it looks like a 15-20% response in the size of the largest lesion in the liver. I have to get all my discs to him so he can take them for a face to face comparison with the Yale radiologists because if there really is no response he would not do the 4th chemo treatment next week.
I think we will wind up proceeding with the chemo next week because the improvement in the liver function tests is supportive evidence for decrease in the size of the liver lesion. Then I'll take my whole pile of scans, lab reports and chemo summary to Sloan Kettering a week later on the 27th to find out what courses of action are available at this point. At the very least, the chemo has given us some breathing room to evaluate treatment options by knocking the liver function tests down to the point where I am once again eligible for clinical trials.
So I'm a little deflated because it certainly doesn't look like a great big old complete response is in the cards for me. But I still feel pretty normal except without hair and can pursue all the life activities that ever interested me so maintaining that for as long as possible seems to be the goal to shoot for at this point.
There's lots of that life stuff on the near horizon for me, too. Friends will be visiting from Oregon this weekend. Next Friday I travel to Podunk, PA to see Lindsay's last show and BRING HER HOME. She and Jacob will spend Memorial Day weekend in CT with us. May 29th I travel to Chicago for a meeting and hooking up with my Chicago homies. May 31st Emma gets here for a week and my brother and sister-in-law pop in to help celebrate her 21st birthday. Mid June sees my mom and stepfather in town for a visit. NM beckons the second week of July. Man, I'm exhausted just typing it! But much fun will be had all along the way.
Thanks, as always, for all the love, support, thoughts and prayers. I'm putting them all to very good use.
Lisa
I think we will wind up proceeding with the chemo next week because the improvement in the liver function tests is supportive evidence for decrease in the size of the liver lesion. Then I'll take my whole pile of scans, lab reports and chemo summary to Sloan Kettering a week later on the 27th to find out what courses of action are available at this point. At the very least, the chemo has given us some breathing room to evaluate treatment options by knocking the liver function tests down to the point where I am once again eligible for clinical trials.
So I'm a little deflated because it certainly doesn't look like a great big old complete response is in the cards for me. But I still feel pretty normal except without hair and can pursue all the life activities that ever interested me so maintaining that for as long as possible seems to be the goal to shoot for at this point.
There's lots of that life stuff on the near horizon for me, too. Friends will be visiting from Oregon this weekend. Next Friday I travel to Podunk, PA to see Lindsay's last show and BRING HER HOME. She and Jacob will spend Memorial Day weekend in CT with us. May 29th I travel to Chicago for a meeting and hooking up with my Chicago homies. May 31st Emma gets here for a week and my brother and sister-in-law pop in to help celebrate her 21st birthday. Mid June sees my mom and stepfather in town for a visit. NM beckons the second week of July. Man, I'm exhausted just typing it! But much fun will be had all along the way.
Thanks, as always, for all the love, support, thoughts and prayers. I'm putting them all to very good use.
Lisa
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