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08-31-2022, 09:43 PM

The meeting with Dr. Ellison was mostly good news. Or at least not bad news. With our situation, anything that ISN'T bad news, is good news, I guess.

The echocardiogram results shows Connie's heart to be within normal limits.

The CT scan didn't show any tumors throughout her torso, but did note some very small amounts of fluid in both of the sacs around her lungs. But all in all that was a good news thing too.

I wish Connie had gotten blood work done today to see what that CA125 tumor marker number is right now, but that didn't happen. So I guess Ellison felt it wasn't necessary to do right now. Not that I want Connie to get jabbed by yet another needle, but I am really curious about what that number is doing more than a month since the last chemo treatment. I would think a "cancer research center" would be curious too.

Anyway, Dr. Ellison wants Connie to resume chemo treatment but with a drug called Doxil. But first she wants Connie to clear this with her cardiologist before proceeding. I figured that echocardiogram was done for a reason. Doxil can cause heart damage, apparently. Yeah, it is one of those side effect things that affects some people, so I guess it will be the luck of the draw as to how Connie reacts to it. That is assuming the cardiologist OKs it. I'm not sure if this is going to mean a trip to the cardiologist and another echocardiogram first, or if they will just review the one already done at the hospital (TMH) last week. I believe that they took an echocardiogram themselves of Connie back in June or so. But we will see.

I am hoping that this drug won't have substantial side effects and Connie can get through the series without mishap. Doxil is apparently a pretty heavy duty chemo drug. I am thinking that with the clean bill of the CT scan plus her tumor marker number continually dropping (as of the last one noted), that this has all be heading in the right direction and Connie will be able to walk out of there with the label of "No cancer detected" put in her folder. Of course, she will have to have followups done, but that is what it is.

I am trying to keep a stiff upper lip over this (which is a better expression, IMHO, than a friend just threw my way recently) as reading online about possible side effects is enough to turn your hair gray. Or as in my case, make even more of it fall out. "Turning gray" was a LONG time ago.

08-31-2022, 09:43 PM	#123
WebSlave	The meeting with Dr. Ellison was mostly good news. Or at least not bad news. With our situation, anything that ISN'T bad news, is good news, I guess. The echocardiogram results shows Connie's heart to be within normal limits. The CT scan didn't show any tumors throughout her torso, but did note some very small amounts of fluid in both of the sacs around her lungs. But all in all that was a good news thing too. I wish Connie had gotten blood work done today to see what that CA125 tumor marker number is right now, but that didn't happen. So I guess Ellison felt it wasn't necessary to do right now. Not that I want Connie to get jabbed by yet another needle, but I am really curious about what that number is doing more than a month since the last chemo treatment. I would think a "cancer research center" would be curious too. Anyway, Dr. Ellison wants Connie to resume chemo treatment but with a drug called Doxil. But first she wants Connie to clear this with her cardiologist before proceeding. I figured that echocardiogram was done for a reason. Doxil can cause heart damage, apparently. Yeah, it is one of those side effect things that affects some people, so I guess it will be the luck of the draw as to how Connie reacts to it. That is assuming the cardiologist OKs it. I'm not sure if this is going to mean a trip to the cardiologist and another echocardiogram first, or if they will just review the one already done at the hospital (TMH) last week. I believe that they took an echocardiogram themselves of Connie back in June or so. But we will see. I am hoping that this drug won't have substantial side effects and Connie can get through the series without mishap. Doxil is apparently a pretty heavy duty chemo drug. I am thinking that with the clean bill of the CT scan plus her tumor marker number continually dropping (as of the last one noted), that this has all be heading in the right direction and Connie will be able to walk out of there with the label of "No cancer detected" put in her folder. Of course, she will have to have followups done, but that is what it is. I am trying to keep a stiff upper lip over this (which is a better expression, IMHO, than a friend just threw my way recently) as reading online about possible side effects is enough to turn your hair gray. Or as in my case, make even more of it fall out. "Turning gray" was a LONG time ago.