Dark clouds, but there is still a tiny silver lining

Unfortunately, the CT Scan done yesterday showed some new problems which have put us in a bit of a "dark cloud" situation. The overall cancer in the body is not much changed from the first round of CT Scan (ie, it has not gotten any worse) BUT, this new CT Scan shows that the cancer is now in the bones, ie, in the spinal column, particularly in the small of the back, the upper back, and the neck.

This is, of course, not good news.

As a result, the chemo regimen has been changed completely. Instead of continuing on Oxaliplatin IV and Xeloda pills, the drugs are changed completely - now Husband has 3 drugs administered separately by IV (Irinotecan, Avastin, and Zometa - which is specific to the bone cancer), and UFT with Folinic Acid (FA) taken orally three times a day. The cycle is still every two weeks...... and the cost of each cycle has gone up three times :-p

Unfortunately, this set of chemo drugs DOES have side effects - definitely hair loss (within 2 - 3 weeks of starting), potentially diarrhoea, nausea, flue-like symptoms, acne, rashes. Not nice :-(. All these will of course stop once chemo is over... but when will chemo be over? The oncologist has warned us that chemo, currently curative, may need to continue for Husband's life time - for preventive purposes. Like Husband says, he is not sure which is going to happen first - bankruptcy, or old age (is that an euphemism for death?)!

It is scary, for both of us, but we will take it one day at a time.

So, I can just hear you saying, where is the silver lining??

:-)
I am an optimist by nature, I have to see the silver lining in every dark cloud. So, here are the silver linings in our lives right now.

1) The pain that Husband is experiencing in his coccyx has reduced to the extent that he is cutting back, and in some cases, completely eliminating, pain killers. The last time he did a CT Scan (end April), he was in absolute AGONY when he had to lie on his back during the scan. Yesterday when he did the CT Scan, he was able to lie on his back, and though it hurt, it was NOT agony this time. In fact, when we drove back from Melaka yesterday he refused to take any pain killer! He only took pain killer last night, before sleeping. And, for the first time in a LONG time, he tried lying on his back this morning and was able to do that for 20 minutes before the pain built up... and he has not taken any pain killer so far this morning!

2) The cancer in the spine is NOT causing him any pain at all

3) Every time we have gone for chemo, the cancer marker in his blood has gone up steadily, usually by a count of 50. ie, before chemo #1 it stood at 145 (in someone without cancer, the cancer marker should be less than 5!), before chemo #2 it stood at 195, before chemo #3 it stood at 243.5. Each time it was an increase of 50 which is HIGH. Yesterday, before chemo #4, it stood at 258... an increase of only 15. So, I am hoping that means that the chemo is starting to take hold, and hopefully the marker should start holding steady and then start reversing.

We are still hanging in there, Husband is more and more upbeat as the pain eases up more, and we are enjoying being able to spend time together.

So, till next time, keep us in your thoughts, pray that the cancer in the bone can be destroyed with this new regimen, and, as always, stay safe, stay HEALTHY.