A quick update on Round 18. Mostly it was the usual fare but it was a nice day. So, during my wait for my meds to be ready – usually 2 to 3 hours - I took a little walk around midtown-east. There sure are a lot of really good looking restaurants in the neighborhood (between 2nd and Lex from 43rd to 53rd)! Perhaps we’ll go in and try one during my off week one of these days, Sparks steakhouse is also in the neighborhood – that’s the place where John Gotti rubbed out Paul Castellano in the late 70’s. I’ve been there on business dinners in the past – good steak but I like to sit facing the door!A little tidbit on health. There’s a marker in the blood that is used to judge the activity of colon cancer called CEA (Carcinoembryonic Antigen). People without cancer have a zero or near zero reading. When I started treatment last December, my level was 183. In the spring, it had dropped to 4. My onc told me that it is starting to slowly rise – to 8 and now 11. We’ll need to keep an eye on it. Although it’s a bit disturbing to see it rise, 11 is still a far cry from 183! So like a gunshot heard in the distance, it reminds me that danger is out there but still likely out of range.
Hope you are all enjoying the great weather! BB
5 comments:
Brian
Although it's disturbing to see the CEA number start to rise, it may indicate that the cancer is diminishing. In searching the meaning of CEA rising, I came across the following: Chemotherapy and radiation therapy can cause a temporary rise in CEA due to the death of tumor cells and release of CEA into the blood stream. Let's pray that that is the reason for the rise in your CEA. Love, Mom
Hang in there Brian. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
-Jim Andreano
Mother knows best!
-Chris O
So, how are you doing these days? I keep checking and there is no update. I hear you are running again. Great news.
Love you
Remember Bri - it's everything taken together CT scans, CEA numbers, all of them. We are CONSTANTLY telling/reminding the residents, "you treat the patient, not the test". They're all just tools (the tests, not the residents!)
Enjoy the rest of your summer!!!
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