Blood Test #14 and Chemo #14

Disapprovingly, my CEA count went up again too 3400.  It didn't quite double, which I am grateful for. I'm hoping the next round we will see the CEA count go down again.

Chemo #14 was with the strong chemo again and it did give me nausea on Sunday and Monday.  However, this morning, I'm feeling much better!!

I have another paracentesis tomorrow, but my stomach is getting smaller, so I do I don't know how much they will be able to get out.  I'm very glad my stomach is smaller!

It's been an up and down week this week but made it through!  Thank you all for all your support!

Paracentesis #6 - Only 1.35 Liters!

 I had another appointment for paracentesis and they only could get1.35 Liters!  Which means, my body isn't retaining as much water anymore!  My stomach is smaller, I am much lighter and I feel the best as I felt in a long time today!

I have blood test on Friday and Chemo on Sunday with the stronger chemo but last time, my side effects were not so bad.  Yay!!  Please pray my body would be able to with stand the side effects like last time and that my CEA count will start going down again!

Thank you again for all your prayers and support.  I truly appreciate all of you!

Paracentesis and a leaky spigot

I had the paracentesis done on Wednesday.  On Friday, I started having some water discharge from the incision where they took the water out.  This is apparently common and when I told my doctor, he told me if it doesn't stop by Monday, to come by and he'll glue my incision.

On Friday and Saturday, I was like a leaky faucet with drops of water dripping every 8 seconds.  I put a hand towel around it and it would be soaked by a couple of hours.  If I could only find a spigot for my stomach on amazon ...  😋I was doing my own paracentesis's!  By Saturday night, I was tired of dripping everywhere, so we decided to try super glue and it worked!  I'm finally not dripping water where ever I go!

One of the reason my doctor wanted to start trying to resolve the ascites (water retention),  is that with ascites, wounds don't heal very well.  Therefore, surgery is usually out of the question until the ascites is resolved.  Now I understand why!  Even with this small incision, it just wasn't healing enough to close the wound.

Good news is (not sure because of my leaky stomach) but I haven't regained my water weight back yet.  I was 102 lbs. after the paracentesis and I'm still at 102 lbs.!

We also got to go painting as a family on Friday night.  It was quite fun!

Paracentesis #5 - Another 7.8 Liters!

I had another paracentesis done yesterday and they took out 7.8 Liters!  It dropped my weight from 126 lbs. to 103 lbs.!  I felt pretty tired afterwards but today, I'm feeling much better.  I think my organs in my stomach had to readjust yesterday, since my stomach has much more real estate now!  Hopefully, the real estate will not get flooded again with my water retention!   😀

I've also been eating pretty well.  My liver doctor's order was "nutrition" for me.  He feels, if I eat more protein, it'll help with my water retention and, also, just eat more food/calories in general.  That's my homework!  EAT!  😁

My daughter and her friend from last week's judo tournament!

Chemo #13 / Liver Doctor - Adding back stronger chemo

 The doctor did add back the stronger Chemo on Sunday.  I was more tired Sunday and on Monday morning started having diaharea which gave us a little scare.  Gratefully, the anti-diaharea medicine worked so, by the Monday afternoon, the diaharea has stopped!  I did have some nausea on Monday but today, I feel much better!

We also saw the liver transplant doctor today.  There's only 6 people in the US that they had done a liver transplant for a colon cancer patients.  His biggest concern right now for me, is the water retention in my stomach.  As long as there is water in my stomach, surgery is not possible.  So, first step is to get my stomach to stop retain water, which is probably caused by the scarring of the liver from the chemo and also from nutrition.  He also recommends doing a paracentesis every week, instead of every other week.  My next paracentesis is tomorrow and then weekly after that.  Hopefully, I'll stop looking pregnant soon!

Thankful, that I'm feeling much better today than last 2 days from Chemo on Sunday.  Also, thankful, that I'll be seeing a doctor that specializes on the liver from now on.  I plan to see him or his nurse from now on a regular basis.

Please continue to pray for my CEA to continue to go down and that my water retention will go down as well!

We plan to go down to MD Anderson on June 24th to get a second opinion as well.  Please pray for wisdom for both doctor and us.

Thank you for continue the journey with me! 

Blood Test #13 - CEA doubled again

I was really hoping that the increase in CEA was just a one time deal and it would go down this week.  However, it did not.  It doubled again to 2112.2.

I was really hoping to stay on the lighter one a little longer but oh well.  I haven't heard back from the doctor if Sunday's chemo will be strong or weak.  Either way, at minimum the next round will be the stronger one.  Please pray that my body can hold up to the stronger chemo!

For the first time in a while, I think my body has stopped retaining more water.  I still look like I'm 9 months pregnant but my weight hasn't increased in the last few days.  Please pray that this will continue and the Paracentesis scheduled on Weds will take more water off and keep it off!

I also have have a meeting with the liver transplant doctor on Tuesday, to discuss the viability of me getting a liver transplant.  Please pray for wisdom for both sides!

I really appreciate the continued prayers, encouragement and support!  This journey is starting to give us more twists and turns.  Knowing that there are so many people supporting us through various ways, has really encouraged us and supported us.  We are so appreciative of all of you guys!  Thank you!