Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Big Day!

Today was Dr. Lachance day. I went for my bloodwork at Backus and then we toodled down to Waterford, to pick up Lynne, who was waiting in the Target parking lot for us. We went over to L&M and who is making himself a cup of coffee in the waiting room? Dr. Lachance. I introduced him to Lynne and they proceded to have a long conversation about coffee makers, like they had known each other for ages.

The nurse talked to me about glutamine...something that some say helps eliminate the possible side effect of neuropathy...something I would like to avoid. Dr. Lachance came in and they discussed this...he isn't opposed to me taking it, but takes the positions that it hasn't been proven that it helps. The nurse snuck me a bottle of it on our way out..Dr. Lachance is going to have the dietician come talk to me about the plusses and minuses of it next week when I'm at my next chemo treatment.

I thought I had to have a pelvic exam today...I was wrong! YAY!

I have now been having the same sensation in my right lung as I have been having in my left lung. Dr. Lachance thinks it's more muscular than fluid in my lung. He told me that with the way I'm going it would be bizarre that fluid was building in my lungs..and then he laid the news on me....my CA125 test that they gave me the last time I had chemo showed that my level was 53!!!!

Can you believe it? Normal is 35...so I am already 18 points away from NORMAL!!!
I am SO LUCKY! Of course, I have to continue with the chemo right through the end...and will have to continue to be monitored..probably for the rest of my life....but it seems like I just started this journey and to already be experiencing this type of success is unbelievable!

Dr. Lachance said he and Wendy, the nurse who works with the clinical trials were so excited. They couldn't believe it either.

So, we went to Olive Garden to celebrate (Maria thinks that is so gauche)...I paid. I ate salad for the first time in like FOR-EVER and I even had a half a glass of soda. I also had a great shrimp and pasta dinner...three quarters of which is in the fridge for tomorrow's lunch or supper.

Afterwards we dropped Lynne off at her car and ran some errands. I was starting to fade a bit...but was so surprised that I had so much energy. We ended up buying great pastry at Arremony's Bakery...and dropping some off to Carol and Mark--to thank them for the apple crisp and icecream they dropped off last night. I also wanted to see their new furniture...they got the great blue and white striped easy chairs I love at IKEA.

Then we came home and I made a fire and now we are just relaxing with our feet up, our bellies full of Olive Garden and Arremony's....

I told Sandy that maybe there is something to crying over a diagnosis for all of less than five seconds and then getting on with it....Sandy agreed. I think what we are doing is the right thing and the right way to approach everything....

We're going to keep on keeping on.....

It's a VERY GOOD DAY! The best of this young year!

3 comments:

Marieps said...

My comment was that you guys were "big spenders"-celebrating at Olive Garden! I hear that the food is pretty good there-for a chain..........

Unknown said...

Yeah, well I think it's gauche! But anyways, congratulations- that's great news!

Janet said...

Ann, that is fantastic!! Even your bloodwrok is competitive.