Cycle 10, Day 21

August 10, 2023. CT scans are done on the 21st day of every other treatment cycle. Yesterday was that day. As always I felt a bit anxious knowing that the nodules in my right lung seem to be in a state of extended limbo, showing no loss in size since February. To me it’s a really strong example of how weird cancer is since the nodules in my left lung and the node in my pectoral muscle have been undetectable since May.

So…I had the scans and before I finished the 3-hour drive home, the preliminary report posted.

IMPRESSION:
No significant change in bilateral pulmonary nodules, the largest of which is in the right lower lobe. Compared to remote prior imaging dating back to 2022, these nodules are slightly larger. No new suspicious pulmonary nodules.

Hmmmmmm. It’s another one of those ambiguous statements that leaves me with more questions then answers.

Then Nurse Practitioner Sarah sent a message that left me scratching my bald head…”Hi, your scans are stable! The comparison of the pulmonary nodules is of unclear significance. I am happy with this scan!” What???

In addition the CEA numbers went up from from 14.7 to 15.8. When I have my oncology appointment this coming Wednesday there will be lots of questions. I’m hoping the answers will clear up the mud of confusion at least a little bit.

But that’s not all. As I’ve mentioned before I am extremely sensitive to contrast iodine which is administered when I have CT scans. I take premeds that include 128 mg of the steroid MEDROL and 40 mg of the antihistamine Zyrtec. And they work, thank gawd. However it seems my sensitivity to shellfish (which contain iodine) has increased. It leaves me wondering if it’s because I’ve had so much contrast iodine over the last 8 months.

Here’s why. Last week, on our way home after my Sacituzumab treatment, we stopped for a bite to eat. I ordered shrimp. In the middle of the night I woke up with uncontrollable diarrhea which lasted all day and into the next. My face was flushed, and I was super weak. Fortunately I have a prescription for Imodium and that worked great. Although the redness in my face went away, the weakness continued for the next several days, and on Day 7 my intestines started acting up again. Finally today I feel almost normal.

The saddest note of all is that my first cousin Scott unexpectedly passed away on August 2. He was only in his 50s. Losing him was shocking in an indescribable way leaving me breathless, sobbing and shaking. I knew him as a beautiful, tender, sweet-spirited man and a doting father. His affection for his brothers, sister and nephews and nieces was smile inducing. It was clearly evident he had a profound love for his entire family…even his old cousins, like me. Not only was Scott a great story-teller who had a gift for making all who knew him laugh, he had an impishness that made him irresistibly charming. I last saw him and his mom (my aunt Joyce who passed away in November) right after Mom died in June 2022. The three of us shared a long lunch, and he helped put a little smile bandage on my broken heart. My gratitude for the many times we shared is boundless, and I will miss him always. Rest in peace, dear cousin.