Change of Direction

 

Friday 19 February 2021

So it seems my bloods are normal but what is worrying is that my CA125 has gone up again to 130 something. Given that at my worst state my CA125 were over 3,000 it does not sound too bad but it does indicate that the maintenance drug is not working. Having said that, I havn't had it for 6 weeks anyway because the side effects were too strong. So my cancer is on the move. How strange to think that stuff is happening in my body and I have no idea it is going on.

I had a CT scan planned for next week but by fluke I managed to get a cancellation and had one on Wednesday. That means perhaps there will be a plan of action early next week.

It is likely that they will put me on another chemo called Caelyx (liposomal adramycin ) every four weeks. It has different side effects. The main one being affecting my heart so I have to have a heart scan before starting treatment. The other is a skin rash in hot places on the body, under the arms, under the breasts, the groin ooooh lovely. They do give lotions and potions to help. My hair won't fall out so that is a plus as it is only just getting to a length where people don't automatically assume I'm a cancer patient!

This is a bit of a blow. Even the consultant was surprised the cancer has started shifting this early. Quite often people get 6 months or a year or more after the end of chemo before stuff starts to happen. Looking back on my 6 treatments I only had the full whack a couple or three times. The rest of the time was only one drug or a much redused dose. My body just could not cope with it. It reduced the cancer by a third but after that it did not do much.

I had got used to the idea of the maintenance drug every 3 weeks and that would be my pattern for a year. Now I have to get used to the idea that there will be a different pattern and I don't know how I will react to this new drug. Will it give me fatigue? Who knows. Off into the unknown once more. A sign of the times, getting used to some sort of plan and then having to erase it and come up with a different one ! ! !