not looking good- Saturday update

Hi,

Many of you know I've been on Dr. Cantrell's treatment of interferon and Lovastatin since mid December. I'm due for my next PET/CT scan on Dec. 10th (I had said before the 12th, but it just got moved up to the 10th). I've been getting bloodwork done with a CEA every couple of weeks. Just got my bloodwork results back last night from the blood draw Wednesday- Dr. Cantrell called me at home last evening with them. My CEA is now up to 96.4 from 64 two weeks ago. It was at 18 when I started the treatment in December.
Since CEA has always been a reliable indicator for me, this isn't looking good. Looks like this treatment isn't working. Dr. Cantrell said with those numbers, he's expecting the scan will show cancerous growth. He still wants me to come in for my appt. on the 17th this month, but I really don't see what the point is. I'll wait until after I get my scan results to cancel or not, though. I'll go to the hospital records room the day after my scan like I always do and request the report there. It'd take longer if I waited for my onc to review the scan report and get results to me. No waiting for me!
I mentioned to Dr. Cantrell that I might cancel the appt, as it would be close to $700 for me with the appt., airline tickets, and rental car. He still was urging me to come and keep the appt, and said there would be lots more for us to discuss as other possibilities. I don't know what to do.
Another onc that I have consulted with a few times before at UCSD had contacted my regular onc about the same time I was starting Dr. Cantrell's treatment to let him know that he has a clinical trial that I might qualify for. So, I called him yesterday and his asst. called me back saying the trial is still there as a possibility for me. I forgot to write down what it was called, though. It's an agent that has some similar qualities to irinotecan but supposedly has less side effects. One of the requirements for the trial is that the subjects had to have disease advancement while on irinotecan, which I did. I'm sure there are more specific requirements that I'd have to check out too. I'm hoping to talk to my regular onc about it and see if he has any ideas. He's never had any ideas for me. I just liked him because he was open to my ideas of doing alternative treatments. He's never called me at home- just his dumb nurse calls and then she usually takes a couple of days to call me. I already have an appt. set up w/ him on the 22nd, but now w/ the new info. that this treatment isn't working (based on the CEA- we'll see what the actual scan shows), I'd really like to talk to him sooner than the 22nd. He's going to be out of town soon going to the big colorectal cancer conference in Orlando, which probably most oncologists will be attending.

Ok- now I'm rambling, but in addition to the lousy CEA news, I've had another problem... my blood pressure has been sky high lately. Yesterday it was 170/106 and that was after I took an extra Atenolol for the blood pressure. I called my internist's office and the soonest they can get me in is Feb. 9th. They didn't act real concerned. I'm out of breath all the time, very weak- just going up my stairs makes my muscles quivery and tired, I have a headache most of the time, and I'm worried if I over exert myself, that I'll just keel over on the spot. I asked Dr. Cantrell if the high blood pressure could be related to the interferon or lovastatin and he didn't think so.

I'm trying hard to not overreact and stress myself out even more. I'm sure the blood pressure issue will get solved soon and I imagine there are other treatments for me for the cancer, if I can just fine one and get going on it before too much more damage is done by growing/spreading disease.

Lisa
Okay, now I'm rambling- venting too.
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Update on Saturday: Thank you everyone for your input, comments, and prayers! I ended up going into ER about 5 p.m. yesterday because of the blood pressure and muscle weakness. I was there until 10:30 p.m. and then released. They did a chest xray, which showed absolutely nothing- I didn't expect it to because my numerous lung tumors have all been under a centimeter. I guess the only good info to come out of the xray was that my tumors must not have grown past the centimeter point, or they would have shown up. They didn't do a CT. I had been having some chest pain, which is why they took the xray. I also have mild asthma, so it may have even been that. I was given an EKG right away and that came back normal. Next, they drew blood and all my bloodwork was normal, except my potassium was a little low and they gave me something for that. The whole time I was there I had a horrible headache. I was given two Tylenol for that, but they never gave me anything for the high blood pressure. When I went in it was 179/106 and by the time I left it was down to 145/91. Still high but not dangerous. It just went down on its own- they never gave me anything for it. Basically, they just told me to follow up with my doctor in the next couple of days. Well, this a.m. I woke up with the headache, which started pulsating more into a migraine. I took an Imitrex for the migraine, which apparently made my blood pressure go up again. Right now as I type, it's 174/113. I just took another Atenolol for blood pressure and will check it again in a little bit. I'm not going to go into ER again, though- they ruled things out, but they didn't do anything at all to make the bp go down. I feel like ER still wouldn't do anything for it if I went in today with it being higher- I'd just be tortured with waiting, lots of noise and confusion, and being made to freeze (their dumb thin blankets aren't warm enough!)

I was due for another interferon shot last night, but did not take it. I think that along with the muscle weakness, it may have been caused from the interferon and/or the Lovastatin. By muscle weakness, I mean that just walking up my stairs makes me feel like I've been exercising strenuously.
I'm just going to lay low today and rest in bed. I'll keep checking the b.p.
Gotta go- my left eye is pulsating- I need to close it and try to rest.
Lisa