UPDATE****UPDATE****UPDATE

Has it really been THAT long since our last post? My, how time flies when you are feeling better and you are getting caught up in the everyday challenges and joys of living. Just being thankful that each day brings you closer to the day when you can say, with confidence, that you are a cancer survivor.

So, to catch you all up on some news regarding Chuck and his recovery process. We met all of our anniversary dates with gratitude. On September 13th, Chuck had his colonoscopy - the first since the surgery and ostomy bag. We had contacted our stoma therapist and she helped us obtain a bag better suited to the clear liquid diet. (I won't go into all of the details on that....yes, if you let your mind wander a bit you'll probably be right!). Anyway, it seemed to be an easier process this time around and he was carrying on a conversation with the doctor during the procedure. THE PICTURES CAME BACK CLEAN!! NO SIGNS OF TUMORS ANYWHERE IN HIS COLON!! (Picture us here doing the "happy dance".....you pick your favorite and dance with us!)

Dr. Y has always wanted Chuck to have his mediport removed but Dr. Ondrula wanted it left in for two years. So, we have left it in with much head shaking from Dr. Y. Because of that, Chuck has to go into the hospital every 6 weeks for it to be flushed. It's quite easy and he is in and out quite quickly. They always take a blood draw, mainly because they want to make sure the line is still good and open before putting the saline in to flush it.

So, October 18 was a meeting with Dr. Y and a flush day. His white count was slightly elevated but the nurses were not concerned. The next day he had to have another blood test before he could meet with Dr. Ondrula. Wednesday found Chuck talking with Dr. Y stating he wanted to have a CT Scan of his abdomen and pelvic area as the CEA was elevated. This soon was followed by Dr. Ondrula requesting a PET Scan for the same reason.

We found out from Dr. Beusse that they have been monitoring the CEA blood marker. So to save you from asking what a CEA test is or going on the internet to look, here is what it is.

Cancer-specific markers are related to the presence of certain cancerous tissue. Because there is a large overlap between the many different tumor tissue types and the markers produced these markers might not be specific in making a diagnosis. They can, however, be useful in the follow-up of treated patients to describe progress of the disease or response to treatment. An example of a cancer-specific marker, CEA, or carcinoembryonic antigen, is a blood-borne protein, first noted to be produced by tumors of the gastrointestinal system. Further investigation showed that it was produced by the occasional lung and breast cancer case, meaning that an elevated level does not necessarily mean a bowel cancer. However, in a patient with a history of a treated bowel cancer, a rising CEA level can be an early sign of recurring bowel cancer. This usually occurs before the site of return can be identified on imaging or examination and so many oncologists question the wisdom of doing a blood test for CEA when the end result is bad news that alarms the patient. Nevertheless, a sequence of steady low CEA readings can provide much needed reassurance to the post-operative patient. Also, a rising sequence of CEA readings should alert the physician to the need for diagnostic tests such as PET scans.

With that said, the reading went from under 1 to 4.2 (10/18) to 5.7 (10/19). They felt it was time to see if something else was going on. So, he got his CT scan and it came back all clear. On to the PET Scan. After finding that this test needed our insurance authorization, it took a bit longer to process all of the paperwork to get this approved. But, we were persistent in getting it done THIS YEAR and finally had the date December 20. Chuck had an appointment with Dr. Beusse on 12/17 to go over his blood work tests. His CEA was up to 35! It was even more important for us to get the results of the PET Scan.

So, what is a PET Scan? (No, it is NOT looking at Fido or checking out Fluffy.) Positron emission tomography (PET) is a nuclear medicine imaging technique which produces a three-dimensional image or picture of functional processes in the body, especially cancer cell growth at the molecular level. Cancer cells grow extremely fast and need a lot of glucose. A doctor will inject the patient with glucose, and the PET scanner detects if any cells are emitting signs of high glucose use. (CANCER CELLS LOVE, LOVE, LOVE SUGARS!!) So, before a PET scan, it is recommended to eat foods high in protein and low in carbs to keep your glucose levels stable. By eating proteins 24 hours prior to the test, it will ensure better and more accurate test results.

It was a beautiful sunrise on Monday! YES! You heard me! I saw the sunrise on Monday since we had to be at the hospital so early. And everything went smoothly and he had no problems with the machine.

Now we play the waiting game.