and they are NORMAL. YAY!
I called the doctor's office on Friday to get my blood test, mammogram, and ultrasound results. Everything is perfectly normal. I was elated.
The seroma that showed up last July on the ultrasound, and which prompted the doctor in October to say I should see a surgeon, has shrunk by one-third. It is no longer necessary to see the surgeon. That was excellent news.
The mammogram was completely normal!
The blood work was normal! This time I asked about the tumor marker tests, which I knew they were doing. They did two different ones. Unfortunately I did not have a pen with me when I was talking to the nurse, so I can't remember the name of the first test. I do remember that normal is under 3.something and I was 2.something, so that was excellent. The second test is CA 27/29 for breast cancer. Normal is 30 or less, and I was 17. FANTASTIC!
I don't know much about these tumor marker tests, but I did read up on the CA 27/29 test. It's not terribly reliable, and it's a trend over time that is more important. It tests for proteins in the blood that are released by cancer cells. Unfortunately, a really high number doesn't mean that other tests will find a cancer or a metastasis of a previous one, and a really low number doesn't necessarily mean there isn't a cancer present somewhere. Still, it's another test in the doctor's arsenal which some use and some don't. No matter what, I have to admit that I felt pretty good hearing that 17!
Now I need to prepare for Wednesday morning's endometrial biopsy and what those results might show. I'm not sure whether I want them to be normal or pre-cancerous. If it shows pre-cancerous cells in the uterus, then the decision is clear cut, hysterectomy. If it shows nothing, then I need to make a decision for myself which is far less clear. We'll see.
Meanwhile, today will be fantastic. I'm leaving in a few minutes to go to a lady's house to try on four dresses as potential costumes for one scene that I'm in for Starliters. Then Mark and I will drop his car off for an oil change, head to the gym for weights and walking, play Mah Jongg at my neighbor's house, and go to the Starliters rehearsal this evening. The day will be wonderful.
I'm also really looking forward to Wednesday morning when Mark brings back the scale. I did reasonably well on the two days of travel, but I've been very strict all the other days and have exercised most every day. I swam or jogged in the water for 25 minutes yesterday afternoon and ate 1300 calories for the day. For some reason I'm feeling more in control of my eating than I have for a very, very long time. I just hope I can keep this feeling long enough to drop another thirty or forty pounds over the next six months. Keep your fingers crossed for me!
Congrats Becky on the normal test results and mammogram! My CA 27-29 has stayed at 14 so I know what you are saying about even though it is rumored to not be super reliable, it is calming somehow when it is a low number. My Oncologist said the same thing, that it is trends they watch for in this test rather then the numbers. My trend since treatment has ended has been a solid 14 every time. I think (HOPE) that means good!
ReplyDeleteCongrats too on your discipline in your weight loss efforts. I gained back all my weight I lost during treatment so I'm right there with you on that too. I was not happy about gaining it back. My excuse, if I can use that term, is that our kitchen is still tore up from the remodel. Lynn's Christmas gift to me was a newly remodeled kitchen, from the wall studs out, top to bottom and it is hard to fix proper foods when you have to wash produce, etc in the bathroom sink. Then it is hard to find food in this house because we've forgotten where we have put things and my grocery shopping is not healthy right now, with easy, quick fix meals and deli salads and foods brought in for ease of preparation. *Sigh* I hope we get back to normal soon in that area. Exercise is more difficult for me with the severe arthritis but I do try to increase time on the treadmill when I can.
I think you are doing awesome Becky. Keep up the good work and enjoy your lovely weather. We woke up to a covering of snow this morning. I look forward to spring.
Oh and I read with amusement about you and Mark's "pill reminders." Lynn and I have used those for years and every Sunday morning after breakfast and before church, we do our medications in them for the week. LOL. I'm glad Mark finally remembered his heart meds that day and that he quickly felt better. Whew!
Hugs,
Juanita
Juanita, thanks for the comment. I can totally understand your frustration with trying to lose weight when you can't eat at home very successfully. When we were selling the MD house and buying the FL house, we lived out of motels for more than two weeks. Eating in restaurants all the time started putting weight back on me for sure. We both like our new pill boxes. Good to hear other people have that Sunday routine!
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