The last week in June was filled with a series of testing to gauge my disease as well as to monitor how well my body is tolerating the toxic side effects of the chemotherapy drugs.
The first test was a PET / CT Scan. PET /CT stands for Positron Emission Tomography / Computed Tomography . This test is used to scan the body for any cancer "hot spots".
It is an interesting test whereas it is almost like a reverse X-Ray since the radiation comes from my body and not from the scanning device.
In preparation for the exam, I was instructed to eliminate all carbohydrates from my diet the night before the test. So dinner consisted of only high fat, high protein foods. I guess this would be OK if you are an Atkins fan, but the meal left me feeling a bit greasy...
The next morning at the hospital, I was given a drink called ClearScan to consume. This is a thick canola oil based drink with a hint of a metallic after taste, YUK! (I think this could be vastly improved if simply entrusted to the creativity of Ben & Jerry's)...But as designed, the ClearScan races through the body and is absorbed by areas of inflammation (potential cancer/growths/ infections etc). Oh and by the way, since it is oil based, it also "races through the body", but that would be more appropriate content for another type of Blog (perhaps entitled "The Straight Flush" -- no reference to Poker there) -- but we're above that type of humor here...
About an hour after the drink, The next phase began. A medical technician took me into a small room and injected me with gamma radiation. This was now my third PET Scan and third injection of gamma radiation in the last few months, (so in the back of my mind I keep wondering how much more gamma radiation until I spontaneously bulge out of my clothes, turn green and display super-hero tendencies).
After another hour waiting for the the gamma radiation to sufficiently circulate throughout my system, I was then led to the scanning room. The PET Scan looks similar to a CT Scan device. You lay flat on your back and are strapped onto a narrow bed that then retracts under a large donut shaped scanning device. The actual scan is painless and only lasted 25 minutes.
I had a previous PET Scan just a few weeks ago, and it showed new inflammation on three lymph nodes in my neck, however at that time, I also had strep throat, so the doctors felt this finding was related to the infection and not likely new cancer sites. That was the main reasoning to repeat this testing so soon.
The GOOD NEWS is that this PET Scan came back as clear. The lymph nodes in my neck now appear normal and the original incision site in my chest appears to be disease-free. VERY ENCOURAGING NEWS INDEED!
So, onto the next test, a Head CT. This was ordered as a follow-up to an MRI I recently had on my brain. I've been experiencing some headaches over the past several weeks, a couple with the intensity of migraines. The doctor felt the headaches are likely chemo-induced, but didn't want to guess, so he ordered the tests.
The original MRI showed "something" on my skull, but most likely, nothing of significance. HMMM, that sounded much too familiar to provide me with any peace of mind (no pun intended -- that would be "piece" of mind). If you remember, that's kind of how this whole mess started, when radiology read my chest x-rays back in November and said it looked like "just a shadow". That "shadow" turned out to be a lymphoma-filled thymus gland propelling this reluctant traveller into my current journey through the surreal.
So anyway, my Oncologist, ordered a head CT, with a contrast dye, to get a closer, more defined view of this "something" on my skull. As it turns out, it's OK. It was diagnosed as a "hemangioma", a benign cluster of blood vessels, that likely have been there since birth and as I've been told, show no sign of any risk. So more good news.
The third and final series of tests last week were three pulmonary function tests. These are routinely and periodically administered to measure the impact that the chemotherapy is having on my lungs. One of the chemo drugs I'm taking, Bleomycin, has been noted to cause pulmonary toxicity and lung scarring, so it is important to repeat these tests often. This was my third time taking the Pulmonary Function Test (PFT).
The three tests comprising the PFT measure spirometry, lung volume and diffusion capacity.
Spirometry measures airflow, by measuring how much air you exhale, and how quickly.
Lung volume measures the amount of air in the lungs without forcibly blowing out.
Testing the diffusion capacity allows the doctor to estimate how well my lungs move oxygen from the air into the bloodstream. This is an area that the Belomycin can adversely affect.
So the results of the PFTs this time were OK for the first two tests, but not as good for the third. It is not definite (nothing seems to be in medicine) but it appears that the Bleomycin may be having an impact on how well my lungs transfer oxygen into my bloodstream.
As a precaution, the doctor eliminated the Bleomycin from my chemo cocktail during Thursday's treatment. I will have yet another series of Pulmonary Function Tests in two weeks, prior to my next scheduled chemo session to re-evaluate my diffusion capacity and determine if my levels have returned to a safe enough range to re-introduce the Bleomycin to my system.
On a positive note, the past couple of days since treatment, sans Bleomycin, have been tolerated better, slightly less nausea, less irritability and better ability to sleep for more than 15 minute intervals!
Well, that's it for today. Thanks for reading. I'll write again when I have something meaningful to share. Now go out and do something positive today, hug a loved one and count your blessings!
Enjoy the holiday weekend!
Glenn
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