Latest CA-125 results

...122.

Three weeks ago it was 110. So it is up a little.

I just scheduled a PET/CAT scan for next Friday. And in the mean time the chemotherapy I received two days ago has some more work to do.

Will you be part of my pep squad?

My cheer leaders?

My angels?

You see, the chemo needs to hear and feel all of our support and encouragement! Maybe this extra support will bring the CA-125 down some more.

"2-4-6-8-

What do we appreciate!

Doxil!

Doxil!

GO! GO!

GOOOOO!

DOXIL!!!

note: Doxil is a registered drug, ie, Doxil®

Tumor marker continues to drop

The CA-125 blood test, aka tumor marker for the cancer in my abdominal area, was taken last week (10/15/09) when I received the chemotherapy drug, Doxil®.

Drum roll!... The CA-125 is now 110.7

That means the chemo is continuing to reduce the cancer! Next chemo infusion is scheduled for the first week in November.

WOW! CA-125 is down, down, down!

The CA-125 blood test we are following is DOWN to 170.

Right, one hundred and seventy!

Remember, in mid-July the CA-125 was 6700, and it has been decreasing ever since with Chemo #3, aka, Doxil®.

For more details go to earlier blogs:

9/24: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow

9/6 : The Weight of the Wait

8/10: The new Chemo 'Joy Juice' is working!

7/24: A week since the hospital & Chemo #3

The plan is to continue with Chemo #3 and get the CA-125 lower, where it should be. I'll be happy with 5.

Note on photograph: The bag is almost empty. I have been given the full bag of the chemotherapy drug through an IV drip. There is no pain in the process, especially because my ChemoBuddies and I are having an enjoyable time chatting.

P.S., Did I tell you that while I was in the hospital (mid-July) and receiving my first chemotherapy treatment of Doxil® (Chemo #3) , there was no ChemoBuddy in the room. So I called my brother-in-law, Mike, and he accepted my offer to be my Phone ChemoBuddy.

Mike loved the title of being my ChemoBuddy. We must have talked for nearly an hour! (Perfect, because the first time I was given the drug it was given at a much slower speed, just in case I might have had a reaction.)

Well, here we are a few months later, and Mike has renamed himself to--ChemoMANNNN!

The new Chemo 'Joy Juice' is WORKING!

As you may know, I received the new chemo, Doxil®, on July 18th for the cancer in my abdominal area. Eighteen days later (August 5th) blood was drawn to see if the CA-125 tumor marker could pick up the effectiveness of the chemotherapy.

YES! YES! Doxil® is working.

Also on August 5th, I received the second infusion (IV) of Doxil® and will get the third infusion on August 28th. Bruce and Marlene will be my ChemoBuddies on August 28th. Can't tell you what the plan is after that, other than I will take what I need in order to get the CA-125 down, way down!

For those of us who are watching the numbers:

(I will skip the earlier numbers)

CA-125 was 4.6 on February 2, 2009,

CA-125 was 16.4 on April 3, 2009,

CA-125 was about 5500 on May 22, 2009. I was put back on chemo after this high number appeared and a CT scan on May 27th showed the cancer returned. "Gemzar®" was the drug I took for the next 6 weeks. It appears that Gemzar® didn't work because the ---

CA-125 was 6705 on July 16, 2009, (determined during my hospital stay).

CA-125 was 3885 on August 5, 2009. (Three weeks of Doxil® and my numbers are down by about half!)

Celebrate! Celebrate! Celebrate!

A week since the hospital & Chemo #3

By way of giving you an update, I have responded to the questions of several family members:

The only reaction to my new 'joy juice cocktail,' Doxil®, has been fatigue, and that is ALWAYS to be expected. For just how long I will feel 'wiped-out' after I receive the treatment, I still haven't figured out.

To your question, "So did your first chemo not do the job?" the answer is YES and NO to the Carboplatin® and Taxotere® (aka, Chemo #1) that I was taking between July 28 and Dec 15, 2008. The YES answer because the tests in December showed I WAS 'cancer free.'
The NO answer is because the cancer in my abdominal area returned.

Chemo #2, Gemzar®, which I began taking June 1 on a weekly basis, did not go the full term of 8 treatments because of the abdominal cramping that resulted in my admission to the hospital last week. Now, I would say this chemo appears to have NOT worked at all.

Last Saturday, July 18th while I was still in the hospital, I received my first IV of Chemo #3, Doxil®. The fatigue I mentioned above, is putting me into the two-naps-a day category.

At this moment I don't know how many treatments I'm scheduled to take--so much has do to with HOW my body reacts to the drug as we so clearly learned with Chemo #1 and #2. I'm not supposed to lose my hair.

While Patrick you didn't ask the next question, it has been asked: When might we begin to see if Chemo #3 is doing the job? My oncologist said possibly after the next treatment, which will be 3-4 weeks after the first treatment (depending on my blood work results). A long-time survivor in group last night has taken Gemzar® and Doxil®, and she said it took about three months for the CA-125 tumor marker to decrease after she started taking Doxil®.

OH, the new diet! This low-fiber diet is such a switch in my life style, but I'm getting used to it. Once again, the purpose of the low-fiber diet is to make the passage of my food through my GI system to go as quickly and stress-free as possible, and to see if this diet will reduce the cramps while Chemo #3 is getting rid of cancer that is around the intestines.

Back to the low-fiber diet: no seeds in fruits and veggies (the wonderful berries, and tomatoes in season), no dried fruits, or Brown rice and Brown bread (I'm still looking for a package of Wonder bread so I can have smooth peanut butter and grape jelly of my childhood days! I guess I better not expect to find the bread in Whole Foods! Today I had my second serving of 'mac and cheese,' something I have not eaten in decades.

Thanks to some of the cooks in the family, I have a nice selection of pasta and protein and well-cooked vegetable. Fresh veggies are out, as well as fruit with skin or citrus with the membranes. I love my pealed apples AND since my weight has dropped a few pounds I have had two shakes in two days! Got that gals--I'm trying to GAIN weight!

BTW, I'm continuing with my participation in Art Therapy at Premiere Oncology and Wellness Community cancer support group in Santa Monica.

Feel free to respond either on the blog or my home email: mleddel@earthlink.com

It will be your questions and comments that will help me center on my progress.