Good news everyone!

Just shouting from the rooftops......have just had two weeks off chemo because of a nasty virus, so I was really nervous about getting my tumour marker results....and they have gone DOWN !!!!  From 5.5 to 4.2.  Now remember kiddies, if you have been paying attention in our cancer 101 classes, a result of under 3 is normal.  Fingers crossed it keeps going down!!!!   Yaaaaaaahooooo I love any bit of good news :-)

Plodding along

Hi everyone, I havnt blogged for a while - im going along really well!  Still on chemo but they might give me a break soon as my feet are copping it a bit.  Hand foot syndrome is where the chemo leaks out the capilliaries and burns from the inside out.  So that bit isnt much fun.  My cancer markers are still elevated but stable  - they have gone from 5.9 to 4.9 and now back up to 5.5. (normal is less than 3, they were around 50 before my first surgery).  In the meantime we have been kept busy with school hols, relatives in hospital, even the cat is getting in on the act with a stint in kitty hospital after a snakebite! 
 So thats it, no more trips to hospital this year please!  

Really, do I have pleurisy AGAIN? 


Dear God/ Supreme Being,
I would like to exchange my Jen Model 1 for a newer version.  I realise this model is out of warranty.  It was constructed in line with the instructions and was delivered in good working order, but appears to have serious and inherent design flaws.  At present the air intake and rear exhaust systems are severely compromised.  Im not sure if your support desk is staffed, but if you could get back to me as soon as possible it would be much appreciated.  xx

Roller coaster continues

Hi! Its been a busy but happy week !!! After dismal news from the fill-in oncologist, dr Doom said I have a 'pristine peritoneum' (not to be confused with a similar sounding body part). It means that there is no sign yet of the cancer spreading to my stomach lining. My cancer markers are up again from 2.7 to 5.6 to 5.9. He said it could be the cancer is too small to see yet,in which case it will show itself over time. Or it could be inflammation elsewhere. So its really good news!!!! No need to go to that nasty Folfiri chemo yet. Also my dear friend is pregnant, and I went to the dentist expecting yucky dentist stuff and didnt need anything done. Good things come in threes and its been an awesome week! Im so happy :-). Thanks to all our friends and family for your support, especially Mum for surprising me with a visit to come to my scan with me. Im so lucky to have fab family and friends ;-)

I forgot to add that my husband is super handsome and can walk on water.....now please untie me Andrew!

4 july 2012

Im feeling good on the xeloda and enjoying having the kids home for the holidays. Had chemo today, not good news. My cea (cancer markers) have gone up suddenly to 5.9. Anything under 3 is normal. Its a shame as ive been feeling really strong. doc says the likelihood is that it has started to form a tumour/s in the peritoneal area which means all over red rover. He said I can choose whether to see how it goes, or have a scan now to see what they can pick up and they might put me on the folfiri chemo regime. He's asking me this? Excuse me while I go and get a degree or two in oncology! Im still fighting so I said yes to the scan so I can start on folfiri straight away. Folfiri is the last treatment option for me, i never thought it would get to this. But theres still a chance the scan will show up nothing so please keep your little toes crossed for us. My family have been absolutely awesome, love them heaps. Friends too have jumped in to help. I know its not an easy thing to do, its hard to know what to say to someone in our situation...just know that we appreciate it more than you can know! In the meantime Im gearing up for the city to bay funrun on 16 sept. We are raising funds for the Lisa Fahey foundation - feels good to be helping someone else for a change! Look out for us, our team hats have chickens on them so we should be easy to spot. i'll be shuffling the 3 kms most likely with my chook hat on. Cluck!

Crazy fingers

Hi! Not much new to report other than I am handling the new chemo routine really well, touch wood! i get tired and seem to need 12 hours sleep a night but thats ok. Ive started to notice my hair thinning but that doesnt mean I will lose it all so Im not bothered. Am starting to work through my list of thing to do before Im 45. They range from takimg Mum with us to Pompeii, England and France and travelling the east coast in our caravan, to growing a bumper crop of zucchinis this year. And lots of other things in between. We are taking the kids to Queensland in a couple of weeks to visit some good friends, and of course pop in to movie world. The kids are so excited and so am I! It makes a nice break from the three weekly chemo routine. So in lieu of any having any further gripping news to report, here are the top things that bug me about neouropathy (nerve damage to fingers and toes cased by chemo): 1. Need to check my feet more often otherwise I dont notice my nails need trimming. Last time I wore sandals witbout socks people ran screaming from my presence. 2. I cant find anything at night - especially light switches, and Ive knocked over countless glasses of water. 3. Reaching into the popcorn box at the movies. Is there something in my hand or not? Try to eat it in case there is, look like a total idiot then spill popcorn everywhere. 4. Trying to grab anything passed from the back seat of the car...imposssible! 5. Typing - aaaargh! From 80 words/minute to 8 lines/hour. Incredibly frustrating. 6. Is there something in my jeans pocket? Keep going through the motion of reaching in and grabbing until my hand comes out empty. Nearly blew my nose on a five dollar note the other day! 7. And finally, nose picking is an unhygienic and potentially dangerous past time lol! (made that one up of course)