90-day report is mostly good

After a CT scan of my lungs, gut and pelvis on Monday, today my cancer doctor said the cancer tumor on top of my pancreas appears to remain stable. While it's dimensions (width/length) changed slightly from the November scan the overall size is about the same. I have these scans of my innards taken with contrast dye every three months.

There was no sign of other tumors popping up elsewhere. Fine with me. While the ideal report would be "the tumor is gone" or "the tumor is now a shriveled relic", I am very pleased with the report that the cancer is still locally contained on top of the pancreas. The big artery and vein that pass right by the pancreas are still encased by the "ill-defined" mass which is 25.1mm x 35.6 mm (about 1 inch x 1.4 inches).

SOME BITTER PILLS TO SWALLOW

My blood test was a little less cheery news. My cancer tumor marker test has been escalating and, as I expected, Dr. Yee wants to take action. He said it indicates there is higher incidence of microscopic cancer cells traveling or lurking around in me that are looking for a place to park and start trouble. And we need kill 'em with higher doses of chemo. The CA19-9 marker went from 161 in January to 173 earlier this month to 192 on Monday, Feb. 17.

So ... in addition to my scheduled Abraxane infusion that I had today, I was handed a prescription for chemo pills — Xeloda — the same stuff I was taking orally last year. My new chemo regimen is:

TWO simultaneous 21-day cycles of Abraxane by infusion and Xeloda by mouth — two weeks on - one week off; Then repeat two weeks on - one week off — every 21 days. (I know most of you don't care about the drug names and schedules, but I include them for the benefit if any fellow cancer survivors that may be reading this)

Dr. Yee said this was an unconventional treatment, but based on my history should be effective. I am a little afraid of how I will handle the side effects. My hands and feet will need lots of lotion to fight the dreaded "hand-foot syndrome" and hopefully I won't get too fatigued. He recommended acupuncture to help deal with hand-foot syndrome, if needed. Insurance won't pay for that. I can look forward to taking more Imodium as well.

In a followup to my post about the dreadful winter, I failed to point out that when you have cancer the worries about weather are minuscule. Life is too short to fret over weather. I've got bigger fish to fry.

But the weather here has been warming and I want to share these pictures Barb took of the snow sliding like mini glaciers off the roofs of the Welcoming Place buildings at Mennonite Central Committee across the street from our house.

These over-hangers broke off today as we went up into the 40°s.

Barb has been watching these ice formations out her MCC office window which she faces from her new standing work station space. (It's no wonder she's always bringing work home! ... looking out the window all day)

This one reminds me of a surfer's frozen "tube" or "barrel" wave.

That's it for now. I must repeat that I am so very grateful for my support community at work, church, home, friends. family, doctors, nurses, infusionists,  (I don't think that's a word but you know who I mean). God bless you.
Ricky