Three Month Check-Up

Check up day.

Appointment went well. Dr. Skinner isn't requiring another PET/CT now as she indicated in July. The doctors agree the 'hot spot' seen on that scan is nothing more sinister than inflammation related to his chemotherapy port, an area that is still in that itchy/achey healing mode so would likely show up again if another scan was done now.. His spleen is a little enlarged but that's not unusual as a response to the Neulasta he was given to bolster his blood counts. We'll get blood work results next week which will tell us more about his recovery from the side effects of chemotherapy and monitor for indications of new cancer. Mainly we are watching his CEA level now, an antigen which might indicate the presence of active tumor growth.

Low. That's where you want a CEA level. Low, low, low

The more indicative prompts, though, are the follow-up PET/CT and CT scans which will be alternated at 6 month intervals. Kevin and I are both glad there's no scan and waiting for results this round. The waiting period is a painful nails-on-chalkboard period of remembering ten plus months of treatment did not come with guarantees.

Kevin's fight with neuropathy continues. He is using Glutamine, which does seem to make a difference in the day to day response. Dr. Skinner says to expect additional regression of the numbness and tingling over the next 3 months. She is very enthused about the response she's seeing patients get from the Glutamine. Kevin was one of the first people (many thanks to friend and nutritionist Sue Zuck) to use Glutamine both here and in the Lafayette clinic. I like it because Glutamine doesn't come with any baggage--it doesn't cause a new problem while addressing this one, a rare thing in medicine.

The greetings at the clinic were warm today. It was good to see him remembered and greeted like an old friend, not some by-the-wayside patient they had forgotten in the passing months. Even one of the radiology techs stopped him in the hallway with a handshake and a joke. It's been how long--8 months?--since Kevin was a patient on that side of things and still John recognizes him, asks how his doing, takes time to listen to the answer and tease about us being transplants to Ohio State territory.

I wish no one would ever need cancer care again. But that's not going to happen. So my prayer is that those who do need this care will find themselves in a place--with people--like what we've found here at Boyd.