Saturday, June 26, 2021

Chemo Round #32 Complete and All is STILL Well!

I'm very happy to report that, after having been diagnosed with metastatic (Stage 4) high-grade Myxoid Liposarcoma nearly 2 1/2 years ago, things are still going well for me and I remain "stable". But these past 4 months have not been without a few scares. Worded differently, this post could have just as easily been titled: "The Rumors of My Impending Death have been Greatly Exaggerated!".  Truth be told, these "rumors" all originated from me, despite the fact that they were based upon real physical symptoms in the area of my tumor as well as blood test results.  Below is the gauntlet of tests I've been through in the past 4 months.

Second Scan Opinion from Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK)

Given that Northside Radiologies have described my scans as "stable" now for the past 2 years, I wanted to verify this analysis by sending my scans up to MSK for a second opinion.  I was especially motivated to do this because of the occasional pain I would sense coming from my right pelvis area and right lower back.  Honestly it's a little scary because it's a constant reminder that the tumor is telling me "I'm still here and I'm still fighting!"  Be that as it may, I'm still here and I'm still fighting too!  Furthermore, I'm taking every precaution possible to ensure that this tumor doesn't make any sneaky advances either elsewhere in my body or at the main source.
It took about a month to get those films to be sent up there, arrange to have them read, and then schedule a visit with Dr. Yoshiya Yamada.  Remember him from August 2019?  Thankfully this time I did not have to fly up to NYC as MSK now does telehealth visits!  (Something good had to come out the pandemic, right?)  I ended up speaking with Dr. Yamada during the afternoon of June 2nd.  Well I'll cut right to the chase and say that they (MSK) agree with Northside's reading and think that I'm "stable" too!  He went on to say that they think I'm doing "exceedingly well" and there is "strong evidence that the Yondelis is working for me".  He even threw in the word "miraculous".
So, test #1 complete -- passed with flying colors.  But what about this other thing that's threatening to kill me???  Keep reading . . . .

Blood Test Results Indicate "Much Worse Than Normal" Kidney Numbers

For those of you with high reading comprehension (and a very good memory), I was long ago diagnosed with Stage II Chronic Kidney Disease.  The origins of this in my system have been traced back to the original chemotherapy I had 13 years ago.  Key indicators of trouble are high readings for Creatinine and low readings for GFR.  My Creatinine "normally" sits around 1.6-1.7 and my GFR around 44-47, but on April 22, I was at 2.0 and 36, respectively.  One week later these numbers were at 2.1 and 34, the worst I had ever seen.  Even my oncologist was concerned and suggested seeing my nephrologist, who was booked up through June 3rd.
I'll be honest and say this led to a great deal of worry on my part.  I essentially had two diseases, each threatening to kill me in their own special way.  If my kidney numbers continued to get worse, especially at the rate they were going, it could force me to have to start dialysis.  And why would this be deadly?  Other than the fact that dialysis would be a permanent disability, it would mean stopping my chemotherapy treatments, thereby allowing the cancer to go unchecked in my system.  Quite frankly, I hope this is something I'll never have to deal with as giving up would be a real option, and I do not want to leave that way.
In any case, knowing that Creatinine and GFR are often tightly linked to the consumption of water (where bad numbers could mean you're not getting enough water), I rededicated myself to regular water consumption.  To keep myself honest with my goals, I purchased a 1 gallon reusable water bottle from Amazon with time marks on the side of it to pace my drinking all day long.  Sometimes I drink more than this gallon, but never less.
The result?  My last three sets of bloodwork show me back in my "normal" range!  And the nephrologist's take on the bad numbers?  Simply put, he called it an "anomaly" and likely related to inadequate hydration near those test days.  Bottom line: he's not worried . . . so why should I?!?

New CT-Scan: Chest, Abdomen, Pelvis on June 17

So given the title of my post, you must already know that my results were again reported as "stable".  There are certainly several things they are keeping an eye on in various places (and have been for quite some time), but these other areas have remained stable too.
As the saying goes: "All's well that ends well!"  And who could ask for a better ending than this?!?

Keeping on, 
 --Dave