July 2014 update

Hi Folks!  I haven't blogged since May, so thought I would give a quick update.  I haven't been rescanned yet, I think Im due again in about eight weeks time. Scanxiety will set in again shortly!  I am back on the chemo drug oxaliplatin, to which I have developed an intolerance.  My oncologist is desensitising me to it, which means dosing me up on antihistamines and giving the drug very slowly over 7 hours.  Unfortunately I found out about the allergy as I was driving home from my first dose, resulting in an ambulance trip.  So its oxaliplatin followed by two weeks of chemo in tablet form, then one week off and start over again.  Oxali is the first chemo drug I was on, and I achieved a 40% shrinkage in tumour size.  So fingers crossed it will still work for me.   I am feeling very fatigued in the first two weeks of my chemo cycle. The first week I find it difficult to get out of bed.  Second week I sleep until lunchtime. But the third week I feel great.  When I say great, I feel normal.... which IS great!  Never underestimate the awesomeness of feeling normal.  Its something we take for granted until we lose it!   My tumour markers are now up to 30 (less than 3 is normal) and for the first time I feel the cancer, not just the chemo.  I am short of breath and ache in the back of my shoulders, which is the cancer in my lungs.  Please can this chemo shrink them down!