October 18, 2011

I have very good news.  I was very concerned about the CT scan and just talked with my oncologist.  He said nothing he saw was worrisome at all!!!!! 

There is a small (7mm) cyst near the bowel.  He said it is hollow and he has never seen a hollow cyst become diseased.  The vaginal wall is not seen well on any CT scan - that is why he does the vaginal and rectal exam each cycle.  He has not seen or felt anything of concern!  The lymph nodes are totally unchanged.  One is 18 x 11 mm; the other 12 x 10 mm.  He still thinks their enlargement is the result of the surgery - even after 5 months. They have to be a certain size to be considered worrisome and there has been absolutely no change from the last CT scan.  He is not at all concerned.

So now I am getting nice deep breaths.  I will see him on Friday for the 4th infusion.  In a way, I'm looking forward to it.  I will then be 2/3 through my treatment.

My hair is about an inch long now and when I shampoo it, I actually have to style it a bit.  I figure I can start training it to go the direction I want.  It is coming in pretty curly.  I will have the hair on my neck trimmed  tomorrow so it looks as if I intended my hair to be this short.

Ever since the last infusion I have had a stuffed nose.  I am using a Neti pot and it does help.  I asked him if that could be a side effect of the chemo.  He indicated the chemo could cause the nasal passage to become inflamed.  That is most of what I am experiencing - I can blow and blow and blow and nothing comes out.  It is NOT a cold.  There is no fever and no colored discharge.  Sometimes there is mucus and blood but that's all.  He said my nasal passages are swollen - that's all.

Even though it is cold today, it's a beautiful day.  We went into the RMNP Sunday to see elk in rut before the end of that season.  We drove out to Moraine Park - we eventually saw a small herd over by the Big Thompson river.  There were probably a dozen in this bull's harem - very disappointing.  So we drove home.  Yesterday we had about two dozen in our yard!  No point in having gone anywhere - they were right here!