The Big C – Chapter 5
Met with my Oncologist on Tuesday and she is very pleased with my progress. There is a thing called “CEA” or a Carcinoembryonic Antigen test which is a blood test that measures a protein marker often elevated in colorectal and other cancers to monitor treatment effectiveness. In December of 2025 it was at 170. By February it was down to 93.6 and at the last test, it was 9.1 – an indicator that treatment is working.
Well, session 3 is done. In at 11 a.m. and out at 5 p.m. The cocktail now consists of 4 drugs plus the 3 before and the 1 after.
The session started with liquid Benedryl. WOW!! That hit me in less than a minute as it dripped for 30 minutes. This was in addition to the 6 pills to combat nausea they had already given me. From what they tell me, that put me in a total sleep state. I don’t remember much about the infusions. Then came the new drug that can cause problems, along with making my skin like a teenager. “Watch for rashes on your face and chest (like zits).” The doctor and pharmacy set the infusion for 2 hours followed by an hour of monitoring my body’s reaction to the Cetuximab. Once my body had survived with no adverse effect, they started the drips of FOLFIRI. That done, it was time to install my little lemon pump for the Fluorouracil. The pump will be removed on Friday.
My sessions start on Tuesday with getting my labs done so they know how to mix the cocktail and my body’s status. Then on Wednesday it’s back to the NorthBay Cancer Center for the infusion and installation of the pump. 46 hours later I have to be back at the Cancer Center to have the pump removed and my port closed.
We stopped on the way home to pickup some Panda Express, drove home, ate and I slept for an hour or so, and then at 8:10 p.m. WHAM! The electricity went off, right in the middle of the Valkyries game. Out came the lanterns. Finally at 10 we all decided that the power wasn’t coming back, so Kevin and Laurie went to bed while I slept in the recliner. With the Lemon pump in my Louis Vuitton bag, I can’t sleep in bed. The power finally came back on at 5:39 a.m.
In my recliner again tonight and then tomorrow make the trip to Vacaville to get the pump disconnected and some “retail therapy” for Laurie.
Still have the “flu-like” symptoms, headaches and joint pain, but no nausea – otherwise, I still have energy and most mornings am up about 6 a.m. and doing all kinds of things around the house. Drive to the local stores and to Vacaville or Fairfield for appointments.
Stay tuned…