The Next Phase of Treatment

Forgive me for repeating yesterday's news about my test results. I'll give you more detail this time! It was a great visit - not long in the waiting room and the doctor came in right away. I was grateful because I forgot my book! Kristen, who has been Dr. Spillane's nurse from the beginning, told us she is leaving to go to an office in Templeton. She has a family and she lives in Paso. We are fond of her and will miss her, but she is going to my gynecologist's office so we will see her again. We looked at both the PET and the CT scan. They are very interesting. It starts at your toes and moves upward in small slices. Very amazing to view the innards! In the PET scan, the radioactive isotope causes any cancer to light up and sort of glow. The scan I had in August showed three distinct, glowing spots. There are places that always light up, like your heart. My bones all light up because the chemo affects the marrow. We could see the cyst, but it is not lit up. There are also little white spots he called "clips" from the surgery and are probably pieces of titanium. There is no evidence of any cancer!! We saw the entire inside of my body, from my toes to my head. Pretty cool! He thinks the cyst might be causing my CA125 to stay elevated. If it's still too high after three rounds of the IP chemo, they'll do a CT scan and drain the cyst. The fluid will be sent to a lab. Yes, it means a needle in my belly, but I have endured far worse during the course of my treatment!

The IV chemo I just finished goes into my veins and is systemic. That means it affects my entire body and all of my systems. The chemo I start next week is IP, or intraperitoneal. That means it goes into a port in my stomach which has a line that goes down into my pelvic region, where the cancer was. This chemo is topical, which means it only affects my abdomen and doesn't go throughout my body. This is why Dr. Spillane thinks I will keep my hair. Last time I did IP chemo it involved an overnight stay at French hospital and I had both IV and IP chemo. Since it will only be taxol in my port and nothing systemic, he thinks I won't get violently ill like I did last time. I certainly hope he's right! IT will involve about four hours in the hospital. I will have my first round next Tuesday or Wednesday, and there will be three rounds total with three week breaks between sessions. Every time I did the IP chemo last time Shannon was my nurse and I asked that he schedule my appointments when she is working. We love her and I feel comfortable with her and trust her completely. As usual, nurses are angels!

Casey always shares his fears with me after we get the news. He was terrified that the scan wouldn't be clear. I hate that he worries so much. I honestly don't think about it much, and I go in fully expecting good news.

The first thing I did was go to New Frontiers and buy some non-toxic, natural hair color. The gray has grown out so much that I no longer want to leave the house without my cute blue hat. It's a good things it's such a cute hat! I'm going to see Lizette to have her apply the color - we'll see how it goes! If anyone can make it work, Lizette can.

I have probably said this before, but I know I will kick this cancer for good and it's not my time to go yet. I feel that I have lots of kids left to teach, and I want to find a way to help cancer patients. I want to become a yoga teacher, which is also about helping people. I want to give back, and do for cancer patients what Cathy and Jean have done for me. I want to spread the love through literature and yoga!! Pretty corny, I know.

For some reason, I am unable to download a picture today.

Namaste, Jill