The pain is SO bad!

Talk about pain, pain, and MORE pain. The new drug that Husband is taking causes, as one of its side effects, BACK PAIN (reported in 16% of patients receiving Erbitux with irinotecan - which is the combination that Husband is being given). So, can you imagine that? Back pain? ON TOP OF the existing lower back pain that he is already suffering from? It is truly, truly awful to see him suffering so much. As he keeps saying, it isn't the cancer that is really "killing" him, it is the back pain. AND THERE IS NOTHING I CAN DO TO TAKE THE PAIN AWAY! :-(

The other piece of news - we did the blood tests today. The CEA has crept up marginally - it is now 260.6, up 2 points from 258.7. I hope that this is a good thing - that the Erbitux has got the cancer under control, and the next round we should see it go down significantly. THAT is what I am praying for. Otherwise I do not know how Husband is going to handle another blow like that. In fact, I don't know how I am going to handle it either. For now, I choose to look at it positively, and will keep praying that it IS positive.

Tomorrow we are off to Melaka for chemo #12. When we first started all this, the oncologist told us that the "standard" was 12 chemo cycles, but it varies. Well, it sure varies for Husband - we are at #12, and are no better than we were at #1. In fact, from CEA alone, we are in fact worse off than #1. We are still looking for the light at the end of the tunnel!!

Keep Husband in your thoughts that he is able to bear the pain of the drive to and from Melaka tomorrow, and that he beats the cancer.

Till next time, stay safe, stay HEALTHY!