To go straight to the point, the results of last week's CT scan were good. Maybe not as good as I was hoping for, but the doctor said the direction is still right and that's the important thing. The blood values are more or less fine except the CEA value, which is now down to 108,9. It was 228,3 at the end of October and 3482,0 at the end of August so it has actually come down a lot. The initial CEA value you can find in this blog posting. CEA is supposed to be under 5,0 so there's still room for improvement.
Regarding the strategic measures of the tumours in the liver, some of them have shrunk in size while some haven't changed since last scan. In the report there is mention of six tumours while last summer doctors talked about more than ten. Mr. Big, which was previously 7,2cm x 5,0cm is now down to 6,7cm x 4,2cm. That is very good news but it seems Mr. Big may no longer be the biggest. The runner up hasn't changed in size since last scan and is 7,6cm x 3,7cm. The smallest of the six has come down from 11mm in diameter to 6mm. This is almost like following a car race.
We had otherwise the usual discussion with the doctor. About surgery he mentioned the situation in the liver is still too difficult. They would have to cut out too much of the liver as each tumour needs a two centimetres margin around it cut out too. Another problem is that the tumours are not next to each other but spread around. He wasn't very optimistic about ever getting to such a level that surgery would be possible either. We realise he bases his opinion on experience and he may well be right, but we also realise all patients are individuals and we still want to be optimistic.
The doctor said I'll continue the chemotherapy for another three rounds but now without Eloxatin because of the numbness in my toes and fingers. If they'd continue to push Eloxatin the nerves may never heal. The remaining drugs, Avastin and Xeloda, could still do the job though or at least keep the cancer at the same level. There's something positive in leaving out Eloxatin also. It means less side effects. I should not get the chemo-brain and tiredness the first week after injection.
And by the way, about that dog I ran over. I called up the owner a week after the incident. The dog was still alive and it would probably make it.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Laskiainen
Today there's a celebration called Laskiainen in Finland ("fastelaven" in Norwegian). 
my wife and some of her friends from university times have a tradition of family gathering on this day and we did the same also this year. First we went sledging with the kids and then barbecued sausages on an outdoor grill. I think those sausages taste better in -5 degrees Celsius and snowfall than hot summer weather. Afterwards we went inside to eat pea soup. For the dessert we had the traditional laskiaspulla. Those are buns with whipped cream, marzipan and home-made jam. We have something similar in Norway also and they are called "fastelavensbolle". Delicious.
When writing this, I wondered what the English term for Laskiainen would be and looked it up in a dictionary. Shrove Sunday, Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Day and Mardi gras hit my face. I continued to Wikipedia and found a rather interesting article on Shrove Tuesday. Apparently the traditions around the Christian world are many and very different. This is what Wikipedia says about the Finnish traditions:
"...this day is associated with hopes for the coming year. On this day, families go sledging and eat split pea and ham soup. A toy is made from the ham bone by tying the bone to a string and spinning it around to make a whistling noise. There is a tale told that if you cut your hair on this day, it will grow fast and thick for the next year. Finns also share the tradition of the marzipan and cream filled pastry with Swedes, although often the marzipan is replaced with strawberry jam. Finnish name for it is laskiaispulla. ..."
The bone toy and that hairy tale I've never heard of myself. Here's a funny coincidence. My wife has been telling me for a few weeks that I should go and have my hair cut. For no specific reason, this morning I asked her if she could give it a go with our electrical hair shaver. She's actually a pretty good with that thing. The shorter the better result. So, I got shaved while the kids were observing with a slightly worried expression on their faces. If that tale is true, my wife will get busy with the shaver this year.
Tomorrow morning we're going to the hospital to hear the results of last week's CT scan and blood test (including the CEA value). Some excitement or nervousness is building up. I'll try and put in another post to the blog tomorrow evening.
my wife and some of her friends from university times have a tradition of family gathering on this day and we did the same also this year. First we went sledging with the kids and then barbecued sausages on an outdoor grill. I think those sausages taste better in -5 degrees Celsius and snowfall than hot summer weather. Afterwards we went inside to eat pea soup. For the dessert we had the traditional laskiaspulla. Those are buns with whipped cream, marzipan and home-made jam. We have something similar in Norway also and they are called "fastelavensbolle". Delicious.When writing this, I wondered what the English term for Laskiainen would be and looked it up in a dictionary. Shrove Sunday, Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Day and Mardi gras hit my face. I continued to Wikipedia and found a rather interesting article on Shrove Tuesday. Apparently the traditions around the Christian world are many and very different. This is what Wikipedia says about the Finnish traditions:
"...this day is associated with hopes for the coming year. On this day, families go sledging and eat split pea and ham soup. A toy is made from the ham bone by tying the bone to a string and spinning it around to make a whistling noise. There is a tale told that if you cut your hair on this day, it will grow fast and thick for the next year. Finns also share the tradition of the marzipan and cream filled pastry with Swedes, although often the marzipan is replaced with strawberry jam. Finnish name for it is laskiaispulla. ..."
The bone toy and that hairy tale I've never heard of myself. Here's a funny coincidence. My wife has been telling me for a few weeks that I should go and have my hair cut. For no specific reason, this morning I asked her if she could give it a go with our electrical hair shaver. She's actually a pretty good with that thing. The shorter the better result. So, I got shaved while the kids were observing with a slightly worried expression on their faces. If that tale is true, my wife will get busy with the shaver this year.
Tomorrow morning we're going to the hospital to hear the results of last week's CT scan and blood test (including the CEA value). Some excitement or nervousness is building up. I'll try and put in another post to the blog tomorrow evening.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Tenth round
Today I started the tenth treatment round. I walked into the hospital 0850 this morning with my wife and didn't feel excited at all. I knew there would be a short doctor's appointment as they would only walk through the usual and basic blood values and probably listen to what I'd have to say about side effects. Then they would put me in a bed, stick a needle in my arm and pump bags of medicine into my blood. Sometimes there are some very talkative patients in the beds next to me, sometimes not. I always bring a book with me as backup.
I will reveal a secrete. I realised a long while ago, actually very shortly after I got the diagnosis in July last year, that my wife is at a totally different level concerning knowledge of rectal cancer and standard and experimental treatments. When I try and write a summary of the doctor appointments I tend to get some of the details wrong. My knowledge of the Finnish language could contribute to that also though I think I get it all. So, I asked my wife to become a co-author of this blog and write those parts where doctors have given us information.
The doctor said the blood values were ok and that the reason for meeting the doctor actually was to ask me about the neuropathy, i.e. numbness in finger tips and toes. If it gets worse they will have to consider dropping Eloxatin (oxaliplatin) chemo. She then also said that if the cancer goes more or less into a remission they can also continue with just Avastin as it is not a chemo medication and does not cause cumulative side effects like all chemo does. And then she said the same thing we have heard once before, that if the tumors in liver decrease in size enough they will consider resecting, i.e. cutting off the tumors from the liver. My wife asked if radiofrequency ablation, a promising radiation method, is a standard treatment as well and she said yes. It is supposed to give at least almost as good results as resecting the tumours.
My wife also asked about some more experimental treatments but she said that they are experimental and not done in hospitals in Finland as part of standard treatment at all, and they should anyway only be considered and given as last resort when all other means have been tried, and my situation is nowhere near something like that at the moment. She was maybe not that eager to reply to my wife's questions but it didn't matter as we were glad to hear what she had to say anyway. She said that we shouldn't think that they just keep pumping chemo into me and then sending me home for three weeks again, but that the treatment they give is given because they have a goal, to get the cancer into remission or get my liver in resectable condition. My wife said that we're glad to hear that they have such a goal as we also have a goal and it sounds like it's the same one. She then of course said that there's not guarantee this will happen, but that we already knew, of course. But it was very good to hear that they do have a goal because it has not been really clear to us, especially since originally in the summer I was according to the papers sent to "palliative treatment" which is to relieve symptoms only when there is no hope for cure really.
Today was a reading-book-day. I did close to 200 pages of Beatles, written in 1984 by the Norwegian author Lars Saabye Christensen. It is probably among the best Norwegian novels ever written. Actually, I've read it once before at high-school in late 80s. I could remember nothing of the story before I started it again. It must be the chemo, or?
I will reveal a secrete. I realised a long while ago, actually very shortly after I got the diagnosis in July last year, that my wife is at a totally different level concerning knowledge of rectal cancer and standard and experimental treatments. When I try and write a summary of the doctor appointments I tend to get some of the details wrong. My knowledge of the Finnish language could contribute to that also though I think I get it all. So, I asked my wife to become a co-author of this blog and write those parts where doctors have given us information.
The doctor said the blood values were ok and that the reason for meeting the doctor actually was to ask me about the neuropathy, i.e. numbness in finger tips and toes. If it gets worse they will have to consider dropping Eloxatin (oxaliplatin) chemo. She then also said that if the cancer goes more or less into a remission they can also continue with just Avastin as it is not a chemo medication and does not cause cumulative side effects like all chemo does. And then she said the same thing we have heard once before, that if the tumors in liver decrease in size enough they will consider resecting, i.e. cutting off the tumors from the liver. My wife asked if radiofrequency ablation, a promising radiation method, is a standard treatment as well and she said yes. It is supposed to give at least almost as good results as resecting the tumours.
My wife also asked about some more experimental treatments but she said that they are experimental and not done in hospitals in Finland as part of standard treatment at all, and they should anyway only be considered and given as last resort when all other means have been tried, and my situation is nowhere near something like that at the moment. She was maybe not that eager to reply to my wife's questions but it didn't matter as we were glad to hear what she had to say anyway. She said that we shouldn't think that they just keep pumping chemo into me and then sending me home for three weeks again, but that the treatment they give is given because they have a goal, to get the cancer into remission or get my liver in resectable condition. My wife said that we're glad to hear that they have such a goal as we also have a goal and it sounds like it's the same one. She then of course said that there's not guarantee this will happen, but that we already knew, of course. But it was very good to hear that they do have a goal because it has not been really clear to us, especially since originally in the summer I was according to the papers sent to "palliative treatment" which is to relieve symptoms only when there is no hope for cure really.
Today was a reading-book-day. I did close to 200 pages of Beatles, written in 1984 by the Norwegian author Lars Saabye Christensen. It is probably among the best Norwegian novels ever written. Actually, I've read it once before at high-school in late 80s. I could remember nothing of the story before I started it again. It must be the chemo, or?
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