The last of the ‘chemo Wednesdays’
CUE Bee Gees ‘Staying Alive’, insert John Travolta moves. Yes! Finally! The last day… The 8th and FINAL chemo day was here and I was anxious and excited to have the IV stuck in my veins for what I hoped was the last time. Two of my closest friends accompanied me as I approached my chemo milestone.So many thoughts were going through my mind as my friends made jokes and kept me lively with their banter. One of those thoughts was brought on by the pervading question everyone had been asking me “do you know if the chemo worked?” I disliked this question because it forced me to consider the worst- case scenario — the chemo not working. Now that the poison cure pumped through my veins for the ( I hoped) last time, I couldn’t ignore it any longer.
There were two tests that would help to determine the progress of the chemotherapy; a CT Scan and the CA 125 blood test. The CA (Cancer Antigen) 125 is a protein that is a so-called tumour marker or biomarker, which is a substance that is found in greater concentration in tumour cells than in other cells of the body. When my cancer was first diagnosed, this was one of the first indicators used to determine that the tumour was not benign. This test is done periodically to monitor the levels in the blood before, during and after chemotherapy.
My last CA125 done around 50% completion of my chemo showed that my levels of the antigen were quite above the normal range, in fact, they had increased since my initial diagnosis but from my online medical research I learned that nothing could be substantiated until after my therapy was complete. A decreasing level generally indicates that therapy, including chemotherapy, has been effective, while an increasing level indicates tumour recurrence. Because of normal test variation, small changes are usually not considered significant. A doubling or halving of the previous value would be important.
As my last session came to a close, I was visited by one of my doctors who gave me a big hug and words of encouragement; I was reminded to visit her in the following two weeks for my clinic date when I would have my after chemo CA 125 test to determine my next stage of treatment, or should I say confirm my next treatment which would be radiation, provided that my chemo worked. I climbed out of my favourite recliner in the chemo room, friends in tow, kissed my nurses (Nurse Singh, Benny & Griffith) goodbye; some of the nicest nurses I’ve ever met- they helped to make my treatment so much easier and I will forever be grateful for their kindness; we need more women like these in nursing. Nothing compared to the feeling of accomplishment I had when I left the hospital that morning; I finally crossed the finish line of my marathon run, the scorecard however was to be determined. In the meantime and post chemo recovery I would be ‘staying alive, staying alive..ah ah ah ah…..’