Updates on Steve’s Newest Scans – CT Scan and Bone Scan

Last week, Steve had a new Bone Scan and CT Scan so the doctor had a baseline before we start the next chemo.  I was curious to see how much growth there would be without him having chemo for 4 weeks (2 treatments).

We saw the doctor yesterday and the CT Scan showed some more growth in the lungs.  Not a lot, but more.  The bone scan confirmed what the last CT Scan said – and there are now 2 spots on his spine, but we already knew that.  There is also a little bit more growth in his stomach on the omentum.

Not a lot, so that means the cancer is moving slowly.  It also pretty much confirmed that the chemo hasn’t really been working for the past 3ish months since it moved about the same rate as it had been moving before.  So when his CEA started rising, the cancer was spreading.  But that’s okay because if we had moved to the next chemo, we’d be closer to the end of our 6 months now, but instead we are at the beginning.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, he’ll start the last journey of chemo.  He’ll be back on the bag for 3 days each time.  This is the chemo that causes mouth sores and neuropathy.   He’s taking medication for the neuropathy already and the doctor says there is a lot of room to increase that as needed.  The doctors biggest concern is the neuropathy.  If that gets really bad, he’ll have to stop the chemo.  He’s starting him at only 80% strength and will lower it as needed, if the neuropathy gets bad.  Hopefully the medicine will help keep the neuropathy from getting bad so he can continue on this chemo for the entire 12 treatments – 6 months.

Steve has been having a lot of back pain since we returned from our trip.  It’s pretty consistent and he’s been taking Advil and Percocet as needed.  He’s having a lot of trouble sleeping flat on his back so he’s been sleeping a lot more on the recliner.  The doctor said he can do some radiation on the spine for pain management.  Steve would like to hold off on radiation for as long as he can so he’s going to wait and see if the chemo will help and if not, then he’ll do some radiation.

The doctor said that if he can tolerate the chemo for the entire 12 cycles, he probably has about 8-12 months left.  He also said it was possible we could be sitting here in a year talking about another trip we took to California in April again!  He doesn’t know how the cancer will move and where it will move to predict more than that.

The girls are still doing great with the news we gave them over the weekend.  They are so strong!!!  We’ve been so honest with them all along that I think they just knew in their heart.  A few of their friends have been so supportive of them and I think it’s so great these kids have such big hearts!

I’m doing okay.  Since Saturday I’ve been on an emotional roller coaster.  Last week the anticipation and preparation for telling Holly and Allison was very hard on me, not to mention just coming back from vacation and getting us back into a schedule AND I had an exam last week.  It’s so hard for me to keep my head on straight some days.  Not only am I dealing with becoming a widow at the age of 43, but I have 2 children that are losing their dad.   And it’s all on me.  I’m the one that has to go on and continue to bring up these children and help them deal with situations as they come up, without their dad.   Plus the 3 days of chemo were hard on me last time, and I think I’m anticipating to have a hard time.

This has been the ABSOLUTE HARDEST THING I’VE EVER DONE.

So if you don’t hear from me, if I don’t return a call, an email or a message, please know that I’m overloaded some days and pretty fragile.  I try my best but can’t always be 100%.

I’m still taking classes and will continue to with everything else I’ve got going on.  I am only taking 1 class at a time, but will take them throughout the summer as well.

Thank you for all the calls, emails, texts, messages, hugs etc this week … believe me when I say they ALL HELP!!!