CEA- Get down you bastard!

After the first cycle of Taxotere, we learned that her CEA level actually increased a few points.CEA is tested in blood. The normal range is <2.5 ng/ml in an adult non-smoker and <5.0 ng/ml in a smoker. Before starting chemo, it was in the 5 range, but after the first treatment, it went up to 7.9. Dr. had it rechecked yesterday, so it's been 2 cycles now, and it was 7.6, so more or less stable. I have been in pins and needles worrying about this freaking number. And I hate it because it's not conclusive. If you google, you'll find thousands of posts regarding how it's not a definite marker. People may have disease progressing, and there's no change in their CEA and it remains low. Others use CEA as a very telling sign for disease progression. My mom's CEA has always been low or just slightly elevated. There's also a study that chemo may induce a surge in CEA marker. This is the link to the study. The conclusion in the study: CEA or CA19-9 surges can be observed in MRGC (metastatic or recurrent gastric cancer) patients receiving chemotherapy. All patients with these surge phenomenons had clinical benefits from chemotherapy. An initial rise in CEA or CA19-9 levels after initiation of chemotherapy should not be used as an indicator of progressive disease.

Mom goes in for Taxotere #3 next Thursday and Dr says she'll test CEA again in a few weeks. All I can think about is my mom and how I hope with all my heart that the chemo is working. Hopefully, in the next CEA test, the marker will be back in lower or normal range. We really need good news.

More Info on CEA:
Benign conditions that can increase CEA include smoking, infection, inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatitis, cirrhosis of the liver, and some benign tumors (in the same organs which have cancers with increased CEA). Benign disease does not usually cause a CEA increase over 10 ng/ml.
The main use of CEA is as a tumor marker, especially with intestinal cancer. The most common cancers that elevate CEA are in the colon and rectum. Others: cancer of the pancreas, stomach, breast, lung, and certain types of thyroid and ovarian cancer. Levels over 20 ng/ml before therapy are associated with cancer which has already metastasized (spread).
CEA is useful in monitoring the treatment of CEA-rich tumors. If the CEA is high before treatment, it should fall to normal after successful therapy. A rising CEA level indicates progression or recurrence of the cancer. (Chemotherapy and radiation therapy can themselves cause a rise in CEA due to death of tumor cells and release of CEA into the blood stream but that rise is typically temporary).
"Carcinoembryonic" reflects the fact that CEA is made by some cancers ("carcino-") and by the developing fetus ("-embryonic").

Taxotere #2 and My Mom's New Hair

I was dreading my mom's second round of Taxotere since the first made her feel miserable. She felt like she had the flu and experienced extreme fatigue. She was out of breadth just sitting up. All her hair has pretty much fallen off, which makes her depressed and confirms that she's sick. When you look normal or like everyone else, you can sometimes forget about the disease, but when it's staring at you in the face, it's weighs heavy in the heart. My mom gets tired of dealing with this disease and I sometimes am at a loss of comforting words to say, so I just give her a hug. For the second round of Taxotere, the nurse informed us that she would be getting Neulasta the day after to boost her white blood cell count. Neulasta can cause some unpleasant side effects like bone achiness and headaches. To combat those side effects, I had my mom take Claritan-D before, day of, and a few days after the Neulasta injection. (Side note- Claritan-D is now only available behind the counter at the pharmacy, because apparently, people have been purchasing it to produce meth). She did not feel well after Taxotere and Neulasta, but the side effects were not as bad as the first. Instead of diarrhea, she was constipated. Instead of being tired to the point of not getting out of bed, she was tired but able to manage. I hate this poison, but I'll love it if it does its job.

Without her hair, I know my mom feels different when all she wants is to just fit in. She had two wigs that she wore regularly, but one did not fit her normal hair style and the other, as my mom put it, looked like dried grass piled on top of her head. It was stiff and did not have any natural bounce to it. So I decided to splurge and get her a wig that I felt would be the most natural looking and comfortable. I went to Voguewigs.com and I found their prices to be reasonable - not super cheap, but not crazy expensive. I purchased the Allure Monofilament Wig by Jon Renau (#6 dark brown color). I think I love it more than my mom does, though I refused to tell her how much I paid for it. Mono Tops (the reason for it being more $$$) give the appearance of actual hair growth straight out of the scalp. Every hair in the monofilament top is individually hand-tied, one strand at a time. Each hair can move and swivel freely, just as hair moves when growing from a follicle. These type of wigs can be styled and parted in any direction, just like natural hair and it's also lighter.

Drum Roll please...

Mom wearing Allure Monofilament Synthetic Wig by Jon Renau

I was super nervous about the purchase because you can't return it if it's opened, and well, how can you tell it looks good if you can't open it? I was going to sell it on ebay if my mom didn't like it. But the wig arrived and Mama Lee approves, though it's a little fuller in the front than she's used to. Also, because it's so thin, my mom says wearing in during windy cold weather makes her head feel cold. I personally think you can't even tell it's a wig, but maybe I'm biased. I hope my mom won't feel self-conscious anymore because she's lovely, inside and out.

TIP: I have found that a wine gift bag makes for a great wig holder. You need something long and narrow so it doesn't stretch out. Place something heavy like a candle inside the bag so it doesn't fall and just hang the wig over the bag. Works perfect.

The sh*t hits the fan

... or another title could be "Just run with it" or "Sh*t happens (a lot)" ...

TMI ALERT

My mom was not prepared for the diarrhea that came today- Taxotere day 7. As my mom said, "It's like there's no faucet!" She's feeling pretty miserable and I feel helpless.

They say the worse part of the cycle is day 4-9 when the blood counts are the lowest. I also realize I'm not the only one. I hope she gets better soon.


Here are some foods to eat to stop diarrhea.

The Day After Taxotere

Mom was able to go to work today- the day after treatment, without any noticeable symptoms. She was told to take Decadron, a steroid, for 3 straight days starting with the day before chemo. So today is her last day on Decadron. I hope she'll hold up tomorrow.

Third times the charm?

It's 1:34am. In 12 hours, my mom will be in the infusion room getting Taxotere aka Docetaxel for the first time. This will be her third chemo regimen. She's already has Folfox and Cisplatin/Irinotecan. For days, I've researched the possible side effects and reactions this drug may cause. I've learned that 200-300 mg tablets of Vitamin B6 help to combat nerve pain. L-Glutamine powder (two spoonfuls) also helps reduce fatigue and joint pain. Curcumin, PSK mushroom supplements have also had favorable results when used in conjunction with the drug, according to medical journals. Aside from fatigue and joint pain, hair loss is common, but I don't think that can be helped. People have also recommended submerging your fingertips in ice to combat fingernail loss, as well as sucking on ice to prevent mouth sores. These side effects seem very unpleasant, but it'll be worth it if it works. Keeping fingers crossed and hoping Baby Jesus will be on my side.