Sunday, February 15, 2015
I knew it had been a while since I'd written, but I didn't realize it was two scans ago. There
haven't been many changes, but I always have something to say!
I had a CT and a bone scan in November and again at the end of January, which were both stable. I'd like to see more improvement, but I know "stable" is better than tumor growth or new tumors appearing. More good news is that my bones are slowly healing. The tumors I had on my bones in 2010 did damage to my spine and pelvis, and although they'll never be completely healed, every little bit helps.
What I haven't had in 6 months is a PET scan. A PET scan is a full body scan that literally "lights up" areas that have even the smallest amount of cancer. A CT scan can only find and compare more visible tumors and there are angles/areas that it can miss. Beginning last fall, most insurance companies changed their PET scan policy to only allow patients to have four PET scans over their LIFETIME. This was a blow to me, because I was receiving four PET scans a YEAR. I've talked to Dr. Kaplan about this at length and he admits that I am the exact type of patient who needs consistent PET scans. A PET scan caught new liver tumors in 2013 and the progression of the disease to my ovary in 2014. In both instances, the tumors were small and likely caught earlier than they would have been with a CT scan. Which I worry about. I trust Dr. Kaplan completely (as you know) and I'm sure I'll get used to this new routine, but for now I don't like it.
I have more to say on the subject, but because I haven't written in so long, I want to get this done and I'll return to the topic another time. I also need to start working on a talk I'm giving during a Lent service at church (which you local folks are welcome to attend, although it will be fairly short).
My white cells have fluctuated quite a bit over the last two months, which means I had to skip two weeks of treatment (when they were frighteningly low) and I received a reduced dose for another two weeks (when they were better, but not where they needed to be). I'm thankful that I didn't get sick during any of those times. If I'm able to receive full treatments for the next three months, I'm hoping I'll see more improvement on my next scans. Because one of the larger tumors in my liver doesn't seem to respond to anything, I also have to remember that keeping it stable IS a 'win'.
Overall, I've been feeling okay. I do get tired and the shots for my white blood cells often give me a headache. Or is that from my three bickering, yet adorable children?
I had a CT and a bone scan in November and again at the end of January, which were both stable. I'd like to see more improvement, but I know "stable" is better than tumor growth or new tumors appearing. More good news is that my bones are slowly healing. The tumors I had on my bones in 2010 did damage to my spine and pelvis, and although they'll never be completely healed, every little bit helps.
What I haven't had in 6 months is a PET scan. A PET scan is a full body scan that literally "lights up" areas that have even the smallest amount of cancer. A CT scan can only find and compare more visible tumors and there are angles/areas that it can miss. Beginning last fall, most insurance companies changed their PET scan policy to only allow patients to have four PET scans over their LIFETIME. This was a blow to me, because I was receiving four PET scans a YEAR. I've talked to Dr. Kaplan about this at length and he admits that I am the exact type of patient who needs consistent PET scans. A PET scan caught new liver tumors in 2013 and the progression of the disease to my ovary in 2014. In both instances, the tumors were small and likely caught earlier than they would have been with a CT scan. Which I worry about. I trust Dr. Kaplan completely (as you know) and I'm sure I'll get used to this new routine, but for now I don't like it.
I have more to say on the subject, but because I haven't written in so long, I want to get this done and I'll return to the topic another time. I also need to start working on a talk I'm giving during a Lent service at church (which you local folks are welcome to attend, although it will be fairly short).
My white cells have fluctuated quite a bit over the last two months, which means I had to skip two weeks of treatment (when they were frighteningly low) and I received a reduced dose for another two weeks (when they were better, but not where they needed to be). I'm thankful that I didn't get sick during any of those times. If I'm able to receive full treatments for the next three months, I'm hoping I'll see more improvement on my next scans. Because one of the larger tumors in my liver doesn't seem to respond to anything, I also have to remember that keeping it stable IS a 'win'.
Overall, I've been feeling okay. I do get tired and the shots for my white blood cells often give me a headache. Or is that from my three bickering, yet adorable children?
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