I realized that life has me running these days and I forgot to post the results of my doctor's visit last Friday. I actually peeked at the lab results prior to the appointment, and I knew that pesky tumor marker was up again. When Dr. Kohn entered into the room, she said that for the most part everything looked fine, except the CEA marker was up again. I mentioned that I had discovered that already, and she asked me if I saw that the rest of my results were fine. I did, but of course, I wondered what she was going to tell me about the elevated marker.
Just to refresh your memory, tumor markers pick up proteins in the blood that can be caused by cancerous tumors. The CEA marker in particular picks up an indication of gastronomical cancers (primarily colon) which earned me an extra colonoscopy last summer. Before going into the office, I noticed a trend in my numbers from last year, elevated in the summer and decreasing in the fall. I asked my doctor if by chance it could be related to spring and summer allergies. My allergies were particularly bad on the Friday I had the blood draw.
Dr. Kohn didn't think that was the missing puzzle piece, but she admitted that there could be any number of benign (non-cancerous) reasons why my tumor marker is up again. The normal range is under 3.0, and my marker was at 3.2. She mentioned that tumor markers really do not add to the survival rates of patients treated as curative (early stage cancers that the doctors pursue treatment to get rid of the cancer entirely as opposed to cancers that have metastasized). Percentages and numbers are an oncologist's holy grail in deciding treatment and follow up, but Dr. Kohn admitted that it was hard to forego checking the markers. She wasn't going to stress about the slight increase (her words), not even make me come in for a blood draw in two months (which was the protocol we followed last year). Instead, she said she would see me in October, when I was due for my next mammogram.
I had hoped this was how she was going to react to this report. When I did a bit of research again, it seems like people were asking about tumor markers that were significantly higher than normal. If my marker was at a seven or even a five, I would be concerned (especially since some patients online had scores of 27 or 54). But .2 over normal? Especially since this seems to be the trend from last year? Perhaps this is my normal. I usually do things a bit above average, so maybe I'm following that through with tumor markers.
I did decide to try another aromatase inhibitor. I felt like I needed to try one more time because it would give me a bit higher survival percentage and more importantly, didn't have the added uterine cancer risk that plagues tamoxifen. Granted, the survival percentage is very small as is the risk for this secondary cancer, but combined, I felt it was worth trying once more. The last time I tried an AI, the doctor prescribed Arimidex. After a few days, I noticed itchy spots on my abdomen and top of one foot. Then when I forgot to take Claritin one morning, my throat began to swell and I realized these were symptoms of an allergic reaction to the medication.
I started my new med, Aromasin, on Friday. So far, I haven't experienced any negative side effects. I'm trying not to be overly sensitive to my skin itching or whether my tongue feels numb. I've decided that I'll know it if it's a reaction, but I don't want to make one up by overly thinking about it. I'm on the alert for any red bumps, which I haven't found. The best thing is I haven't experienced the achiness that I experienced on Arimidex. This is a common side effect of an AI. This was probably one of the main reasons why I hesitated about switching before. Quality of life, being able to exercise without pain, being flexible and strong, is important to me. So, as of now, everything looks like it is going well. I'm so thankful.
So, my season of testing is finished! I am off until next October when I'll undergo a mammogram and blood draw. If everything looks good, my next appointment isn't for six months. Six whole months!! I'm ecstatic over those numbers. Until now, I'll continue living each day for all it's worth, enjoying my kids, the sunshine, this marvelous life that God has blessed me with. And you? Is there anything you are putting off because of fears? Anything you need to try once more? Any test or medical procedure you have been avoiding? Schedule it, perform it, just do it. Remember, God's got your back!
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