"Hello Michelle, this is Dr._ calling..."

At the Farmers Market

March 2010

It is hard not to be alarmed when my oncologist called. He never calls unless I have left a message for him. He just called.

It is Friday morning and I'm planning a little trip.

"I'm concerned that your CA-125 is rising," he began.

Since I was in for a check-up two days ago and blood was drawn, he was concerned with the results that just came in. When I saw him on Wednesday, the plan was to begin taking the 6th month of my ChemoCaps (8 Hexalen capsules a day for 14 days). Up until last month the medicine was bringing down the CA-125 tumor marker.

As a result of this decrease, I have been feeling pretty healthy and confident.

But on Wednesday, when I asked what April's CA-125 was, he reported, "65." I knew it was up from the previous months, but I quickly responded, "Oh, a hiccup!" (I'm thinking, the number just went up and then it will drop--right! But it didn't drop THIS month either.

Two days ago the plan was to have a PET scan in a few months, depending on the results of my monthly blood draw. STOP THE PRESS!

My doctor of six years is calling in for an immediate insurance approval for a PET scan, asap.

"But Doctor, I'm planning on taking a little trip, can I still go?"

"Sure, Go and have a good time!"

We both chuckled--the quality life of a person with cancer is so often determined by the results of the monthly, or regularly scheduled scan and lab work.

Right, sure,

celebrate! With this hanging over my head...

OkOkay,

Think the big picture:

He is catching this early,

There are more chemotherapy medicines to help extend my life, as he is treating me,

But, why did I throw-up two days ago? This has happened twice in the past two years of chemo.

What's that ache in my hip?

What will the new chemo be like?

But he is catching it early, or is he?

Ovarian-type cancer has a mind of its own...

...Go and have a good time...

Hexalen®, day 1, 4th month

Presenting...

the fourth month supply of my cancer-killing meds

This photograph is the before

...Before I started swallowing them

two at a time, four times a day

During the next two weeks we will...

Go on walks

'hang around'

seek adventure

and take my medicine

I'm looking forward to your companionship

Bye for now

Okay, Where is the water?

14 Days off: #13 & 14

Today ends my 14 days of no medication!

I have enjoyed this month because

I seem to be coping with the side effects better

than the two earlier months of Hexalen®

chemeotherapy capsules

Tomorrow is day #1 of 14 days of taking my medication

It is hard to believe but it is true

I have 112 capsules,

each costing about $10,

that are designed to keep the cancer in my abdominal

under control

14 Days off: #6

Another image from our walk

Can't write very much because 'I'm on hold'

as

I go through the 'hoops' to get scheduled

for an MRI

Oh my Oh my...

14 Days off: #5

Me 'n my meds

have found some pretty interesting spaces to be

We have stopped to smell the roses

Looked at the ocean blue

Sat next to a design or two

and now

Spend this moment with you

14 Days off: #4

For readers who are digging out of inches of snow

there really are places that don't have it

Notice the Santa Monica Pier,

the waves breaking on the sand (top left)

and,

of course,

my empty bottle of Hexalen chemotherapy meds

(my third month)

14 Days off: #3

Yesterday I went to my local Apple Store for a three-hour workshop called Personal Projects.

I took my flash drive with my genealogy projects, such as individual timelines, one page profiles, and calendar of relatives birth and death dates.

The Apple trainer provided assistance as needed and it was really great because there were only four of us, each working on our own projects. I have had four of these Personal Project sessions and the trainers are helping me set up and use the particular Apple programs that best suits my needs.

Now that I'm "off meds," that is, I'm on my 14-days of no ChemoCaps, life has a different twist--I'm NOT monitoring my waking hours in relation to the next dose of Hexalen capsules. Swallowing 112 chemotherapy capsules within 14-days must be done in a thoughtful and organized manner.

I'M FREE, for 11 more days!

14 Days off: #2

Today's

Presidents' Day Holiday

and

beautiful weather

brought out the

travelers

flowers

and

my empty ChemoCaps container

14 Days off: #1

We were

'checking out each other'

during my walk on the

Santa Monica Pier

Notice the drops of water

on this resting pelican bird

If you drove west on Route 66

this is where your journey would end

I'm doing well

Hexalen®, day 14, 3rd month

Today I finished taking my

112 ChemoCaps*

-14 days of 8 capsules per day-

Tomorrow will be the first of 14 days

-no oral chemotherapy-

Who knows,

maybe I'll feel like I'm

cancer free...

at least for two weeks

* my term for oral chemotherapy capsules

14 Days off: #14

Still life: The flowers of life

2010

14 Days off: #13

We return to this location in Santa Monica

now with three empty containers,

once filled with chemotherapy drugs

In the containers were nearly 200 capsules

that my body used since

December 6th

In two days I will begin my third month

of swallowing eight Hexalen® capsules a day

for the expressed purpose of controlling the

cancer in my abdominal/pelvic area

If the medicine gets rid of all the cancer,

that's even better!

Sometime in the near future

I will have a CT scan to determine the effectiveness

of the medicine, aka,

My ChemoCaps

ChemoCaps: my unique term

for chemotherapy capsules

Previous entry at this location:

Dec 14, 2009

"Hexalen® day 9, #28"

14 Days off: #12

For many travelers

Santa Monica is a destination

and,

for so many of us

we photograph

After a few minutes

the men got back into the white van and

left this View of the Pacific Ocean

Update on my new order of chemotherapy capsules (aka, ChemoCaps):

I finally have them in hand, six days after my first call to refill the prescription.

As you will see in a few days, my ChemoCaps are in a different shaped container, instead of a generic pill container. I suspect, the new container came directly from the Hexalen® laboratory distributor.

The label is preprinted with the contents of 100, but since I'll be taking 112 ChemoCaps it appears that my local pharmacy added the additional 12 capsules. They come right to the very top!

You don't see that very often--remember the wad of cotton in some pill containers?

14 Days off: #11

Today we went for a walk...

14 Days off: #5

Our return to the Santa Monica Pier,

now with three empty

oral chemotherapy containers,

seemed like a good location

to sit for this photo

Celebrate!

Forrest Gump: That day, for no particular reason, I decided to go for a little run. So I ran to the end of the road. And when I got there, I thought maybe I'd run to the end of town. And when I got there, I thought maybe I'd just run across Greenbow County. And I figured, since I run this far, maybe I'd just run across the great state of Alabama. And that's what I did. I ran clear across Alabama. For no particular reason I just kept on going. I ran clear to the ocean. And when I got there, I figured, since I'd gone this far, I might as well turn around, just keep on going. When I got to another ocean, I figured, since I'd gone this far, I might as well just turn back, keep right on going.

Source:

http://www.great-quotes.com/cgi-bin/viewquotes.cgi?action=search&Movie=Forrest+Gump

See earlier blogs on -

Forrest Gump: 11/26/09, and

Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.: 11/26/09

14 Days off: #4

For a brief moment

there was no rain today,

day four of six

We love the rain,

and I'm sure

the plants love the rain

14 Days off: #1

As I celebrate two months of taking

my ChemoCaps

I find all sorts of places to

put my

empty containers

As I look out my window

these flowers show their blooming power

Just as the chemo therapy drugs

exert their power

Finally, as you read today's blog

may we share in the

common bond for a loving,

compassionate, and

healthy

society

P.S., Thank you Robin for putting

the plant outside my front window

Hexalen®, day 14, 2nd month

Celebration!

We went for a walk

and found

another Pacific Ocean Sunset

It

seemed like a fantastic photo-op for

all three,

now empty

medicine containers.

I now begin my 14 days of no medicine...

P.S.,

I hope you enjoyed the adventures of

my 196 ChemoCaps

14 Days off: #9

NO PARKING

TOW-AWAY

In a few days I will return to the pharmacy to fill my second month prescription of oral chemotherapy medicine. I still find it hard to picture 84 capsules that will be taken in 14 days.

But wait, the oncologist said he may increase the daily dosage when I see him on January 4th, 2010. Want to take a guess what the new total will be?

How does this note apply to the photograph?

On a recent walk, I was celebrating that I had completed my first month of swallowing 84 capsules in 14 days. The empty medicine container is on the top of the red warning bag.

My previous chemotherapy medicine was contained in a different kind of bag--a soft plastic bag that hung from a pole with liquid, cancer-killing fluid. The earlier 17 infusions of medicine into my arm also contained warnings, like, be careful not to get the fluid on the skin.

The end result of all this liquid and oral medicine has and continues to be to kill and control the cancer in my abdominal/pelvic area.

14 Days off: #7

Some of the nicest gifts are right in our back yard, I seem to recall from my childhood.

As children, by sister, brothers and I always lived in a house. We helped build a tree house, plus a large 'club house' that was home for my father's work room with a lathe and power tools. The 'club house' also had bunk beds for my brothers, a study area, and a pot belly wood burning stove.

Now, so many of us live in apartments and town houses that our back yards are tiny or non existent.

This morning I looked out at my balcony and found this gem of mother nature. Thanks Mom!