A bit like the curate's egg

Today was good in spots.

There was good news from the CT scan. The liver tumours are shrinking. One which was 2.6 cm in January is now 2 cm and another is now 1.4 cm (it was 1.8 cm). To quote the report "similar reduction in size is seen in a number of lesions within the liver and no new deposits identified". YAY! The lung nodules are unchanged since the last scan, and the oncologist says that this may very well indicate that they are not tumours. I am very hopeful that this is the case.

The tumour indicator from the last blood test on Tuesday showed another reduction. Last cycle it had jumped to 1700, now it is 1100. Still a long way to go, though.

I am to have two more cycles of FOLFOX 6 using the PICC line, which will take me to the end of April. Then the line is going to be removed and I am to have Avastin every three weeks and Flouracillin in tablet form. The Oxyplatin will be suspended for a while since I am having such a strong reaction to it. This means that we do not have to worry about getting the PICC line dressed while we are in Queensland in May. I will be glad to see the end of it - it is both unsightly and uncomfortable as the dressing over it irritates my skin.

The oncologist is also going to confer with the colonorectal surgeon regarding possible removal of the primary cancer in my bowel, but we won't know any more about this till the end of April.

And today's not so good part? While I was booked in at 2.30 pm for the chemo, I didn't get into the chair till 3.45 and the actual infusion did not not start till 4.30. We left the hospital just before 8. So I will still be wearing the pump when we go out to lunch on Friday with sister and brother in law to celebrate my birthday .