Good News!!!! The Chemo is Working!

Yesterday  (7/21/14) Steve and I received some really good news.  His CEA number, which is the tumor marker in his blood, was lower - a lot lower!  When he was in the hospital the first week of June it was 536.  Then a few weeks later it was up to 834.8.  Yesterday it was 263.1.   Needless to say we both cried when I gave him the good news.

That means the chemo is working.

We saw the doctor today and he was very happy as well with the results.   He said the drop in his CEA is great after only 2 treatments.  I asked him if he expects that number to go to zero at some point, if that was what we were working towards?  Or was that not possible with Steve's type and stage of cancer?  He said that would be great, but it may never reach zero, and that's okay too.  

One day at a time Karen, one day at a time!

Steve was very worried that if that number hadn't moved, I'd be very upset.  He's right, I would have been, even though it wouldn't have necessarily meant anything.  I just needed to see that the chemo was at least working. 

So we are pretty happy this week and confident that this round of chemo is going to work.  But we also have to remind ourselves that the doctor originally told us, chemo is going to be long term for Steve.  On and off.  So shrinking the tumors is really only temporary.  But that gives us more time and more hope that they come up with something that might be able to help Steve and others fighting stage 4 Colon Cancer or at least live with it for a long time.

Steve noticed that his hair is falling out.  He's finding more of it in his hands when he washes it.  He realized this last week.  I wasn't surprised when he mentioned it because I had a feeling he was thinning more.  But really, he doesn't care.  If that's what has to happen, he's good with that.  He just wants the tumors to shrink and not grow back for a long time. 

Tomorrow begins Steve's 3rd round of Chemo and our standing every other week date.   I know I'll walk in there feeling a lot better tomorrow, knowing that he's getting better.