October 2013 its back

Hi, just realised I havent blogged in ages so heres what the last few months have been like for us.  Firstly, we had a great holiday in the camper trailer.  All the way up to Bowen, then back down the Birdsville track.  If theres a few photos in this paragraph then yay for me, Ive worked out how to do it!  If not, well you will have to use your imagination. 

Our trip started with a call out to the RAA just one street away when the caravan somehow blew the car electrics.  'Big Blue' (the big blue toyota) towed us perfectly the rest of the way despite being mistreated.  A car wash at Airlie Beach revealed a completely different coloured car.   Our poor 'outback' camper turned out not to be very outbacky at all.  The brake lines were smashed by rocks, one of the cupboard doors bounced off and the kitchen tap snapped. And of course everything filled with dust, but that was part of the adventure!  

Then had a visit from the lovely Gnomes, and a surprise birthday party for me... yep they got me good! 


Now we are back and the last scan was pretty crap.  I have 20+ tumours in my lungs and there is a 1cm tumour back in my liver.  Dr Doom is suprised that its not showing in my peritoneum although there is an enlarged lymph node there.  This goose if officially cooked according to Dr Doom but Ive proved him wrong.  I am too stubborn to give up, although I have had my moments.  Ironically the original source of my cancer, the colon, is completely clear.   I had my chest port put in on Tuesday, and then went straight to chemo on Wednesday which to be honest, was a bit too much all in one go.  This chemo is nasty, Ive been in bed for the whole three days and am wondering how I will handle six months of it!  Im back to carrying around the portable chemo pump for three days. It comes off in 2 hours, and counting down!  Cannot wait.  Thats one treatment down, 11 to go.  Once again thanking all my fab friends and family for their support.  By the way, this blog has had over 15,000 page views.  How the hell did that happen you crazy stalkers!! lol

Uh oh

So Ive had my scan and the results are...

Colon, peritoneum and liver are clear

BUT (and its a big but)

Its now in my lungs :-(. The biggest tumour is 0.9 cm but it shows signs of necrosis in the middle (die bastard die).  There are tumours in every section of both lungs, as small as 1mm.  So I need to get rid of these shitty little things so I can go on to live a splendiferous life.  We are about to go camping for 7 glorious weeks, aaaah the freedom!  Fischer family on tour! Just like the partidge family only less musical - but just as groovy lol.

I expect to come back to a big six month round of FOLFIRI chemo.  Will have another port put in, the tube straight into the heart so the chemo gets diluted as soon as it enters the body.  Its not as bad as it sounds going in, its not fun but is quite painless.  So back to full days of chemo then 48 hours on a portable chemo pump at home, plus all the hassles of keeping it dry and having it dressed fortnightly at the hospital.  If Im really lucky ( no, thats not sarcasm) they will stick a big needle into my chest and cook the tumours from inside.  So this better be a bloody good holiday!!  Not happy about it, but its what I gotta do.

I had a coaching call with a guy from the USA who talked me through how he beat cancer.  To my surprise it didnt involve either Haighs Chocolate OR iced coffee! More juicing, juicing and juicing...to overdose on good nutrients.  So the juicer will be coming away with us.  And Dont fall off your chair but Ive been going to the gym.  Yes, ME!

We are going to get a cheap metal detector and try our luck on the goldfields and the beaches.  The kids will love it, especially if its too cold to swim.  Hope to spend some time at Airlie Beach where its 23 degrees instead of our 13.  Come join us!

Note to would be burglars: dont worry about the monitored alarm, its the viscious housesitters I would be concerned about!  

May update

Ahoy thar my lubblies in blog land!  

This month my cea markers have risen to 4.8.  Its never good to see them rise, but they are notoriously untrustworthy from all I have read so I choose not to be bothered by this.

What I am bothered about is the pet scan that Dr Doom has scheduled for July.  This is the scan where they inject a dye and I go in the big MRI machine.  All the while it bangs away like Homer Simpson is conducting maintenance on it at the same time.  The dye highlights any cancer cells.  Last time my peritoneum was 'pristine'...please let it be the same again.  So from now until then I am cncentrating on positive thoughts and trying not to panic.  Easier said than done when deep down Im terrified and screaming.

Anyhoo, to perk myself up I just made a cancer fighting smoothie  concoction with frozen banana and rasberries, rice milk, zucchini and fractionated fruit pectin (read about it here if it interests you and you can be bothered).

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dr-isaac-eliaz-awarded-patent-for-modified-citrus-pectin-and-alginates-205361071.html

And yes, it really was yummy.  Its amazing what fresh vegies you can disguise with frozen bananas. This recipe is a great way to use up soft bananas and increase the amount of raw vegies in the diet.  

 Dare you to try it!

all good!

hi! just  had my  colonoscopy yesterday and the results were .......drumroll please.........all clear! 

and my cea  markers are  still stable at 3.8.  

very happy girl today!  

March results:  CEA 3.7

Just saying..........woohoooo!

Nice and stable for three months now!!!    Now back on to chemo for the next two weeks.  Have started the process of getting the kids genetically tested.  I will be devastated if I have passed on the gene, but if we know we can make sure they never get it.  Bowel cancer both sucks and blows at  same time.  Not good.

By the way, dont you think the new state logo looks like a bad origami experiment?  Just throwing that one out there lol

Hi my lovelies,

You might remember I didnt get my cancer marker results before Christmas as I didnt want to spoil the day, well.......

Today I found out that the mystery pain in my side is just scar tissue and in January my markers were 3.9.  Was that a typo I hear you say? (or not).  Hell no!!  Wow, thats the lowest yet! Dear readers you may recall that under 3 is considered normal.  We all produce cancer cells but the immune system mops them up.


And then....

Wait or it.........

My markers today (valentines day) were 3.8 !!!!!!!! 

Of course Dr Doom pointed out they can jump up at any time but today Im celebrating a good result.  Its one foot in front of the other kinda stuff.  
So yippee!!!

Happy Valentines Day !!

Curses and damn you Farmers Union

Hi!

Not a lot to update, my cancer markers are still stable ( touch wood ) and Ive been so busy I really wonder how I ever went to work!  It doesnt help that I sleep in. I have set four alarms and slept through every one of them so I officially give up on trying to get up before 10.30.  This week I shocked myself and woke up at 2.30, just in time to pick the kids up from school! 

Im starting to go to the gym for cancer patients in a couple of weeks, that should be interesting.  At least they understand the limitations as my feet can be quite a nuisance.  Sometimes they bleed but depending on where its coming from, I might not feel it.  Ive been known to leave a blood trail around the house which really annoys me because we have white tiles and I hate mopping! I mean really, who puts down white tiles??!  Must have been someone with an OCD mopping disorder!

After a major hiatus I am back on my anti cancer diet, which means no wheat, dairy, alcohol or sugar.   Also known as the no fun diet! I did it for a full 12 months but when I lost 20 kilos after the last surgery I went off it .  Of course I put back on 25kgs!!! Did you know garlic is a cancer fighting food? Tonight I had a raw salad with bean shoots, broccoli, zucchini, home grown organic tomato, a boiled egg for protein and a whole garlic clove in the dressing.  Believe me, my hubby is VERY aware of the garlic - no kisses for me!!  i have to get organised and plan my meals in advance.  So im outing myself as being back on the diet so I have some sense of accountability and hopefully some extra discipline. Im having major sugar cravings, waah I want an iced coffee!! No one, and i mean no one, is allowed to drink iced coffee in front of me as I may crash tackle you to the ground and rob you.  I was following a farmers union truck today and I thought damn you, you tempting truckload of sugary caffeine loaded goodness! Over and out my little bloggy friends lol