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Tuesday, August 30, 2011

1 for 4 (pending a more definitive trend)

Well, even Dr. Phan was happy today. My creatinin was down to 7.6 this week. It had been up to 8.5ish....on the edge of dialysis. As we all know by this point, the kidney function is a reflection of the power of the cancer.  The higher the creatinin in the kidney, the more powerful the cancer and less effective the treatment....and you know the rest of this story.  It's been gaining steadily for the past few weeks. Today, good news, it's down, likely meaning the reconfigured chemo (treanda with revlimed on the way) treatment could be working.  So I'm happy, Leslie and Dr Phan are happy. But we need to see a trend to definitively say it is working.  Later this week, more blood work. That will help answer the question. And next week, a bone marrow biopsy to give an even better picture of what's what.  But fucking finally, that's what I say.

My red blood celll count is hanging in there, but we're doing a transfusion this Thursday, just to get the blood count up a bit and get my energy up. The transfusions at this point are no big deal.  White blood cells also hanging in there, a good thing.  One other difference with the new chem drug is that I've been feeling real naseous the past few days. Haven't thrown up but been pretty close the last two days.  With all the previous drugs, I haven't had any stomach issues, other than a newly formed layer of fat. The doctors say the level of side effects experienced does not equate to the effectiveness of the drug, but I beg to differ. The fact that I've been feeling bad, to my mind, means the shit is working.

And here's another odd thing....You know how when you close your eyes and you try and focus on what's right in front on you (other than closed eye lids), and you can make out shapes and movements and shadows. Lately, when I close my eyes, it's been real dark and I see real scary, ominous shapes moving in front of me. Weird, right? Well, the past couple days I close my eyes and it's been brighter with less intimidating shapes and images. Trippy. What's it mean? Hell if I know. I'm not a spiritual or religious person, but I've been trying super hard to have positive thoughts, and perhaps that is working as well. The brighter images behind my closed eyes means something, I'll tell you that.

So chew on all this and I'll update more later this week

1 comment:

  1. In the name of Jesus, the son and the father and the Holy ghost. I beg you dark, ominous shapes moving in front of my brothers eyes, "TO FLEE" Bring back the brighter with less intimadating shapes and images to appear. This nightmare has to stop right now!! So in Jesus name bring on the good positive powerful, as I know you will Jesus!!
    Dana

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Berenson Oncology Success Rate

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