stuff going on this week

Well, this week will be a full one for me...
Tomorrow morning (Monday), I'll be having a PET/CT scan. I usually walk out of the place w/ a CD of the scan and then I go the next day to the hospital records room and get my copy of the written report. My CEA has been rising over the past 8 weeks, which has always been a telling indicator for me of new activity. I had been off the Avastin for a while though due to my colonoscopy a few weeks back & have now had it again with my past two Folfiri treatments. It will be interesting to see if going back on the Avastin for these past two treatments will have made a difference in my CEa and/or scan results. It seems maybe more than coincidental that my CEA started to rise when I had to stop the Avastin 6 weeks before my colonoscopy (I was off it for a total of 13 weeks). Who knows though how effective the Avastin is in me, because I had my recurrence back in August when I was on Avastin and Xeloda as maintenance. We'll see what the scan shows...

Last Monday was my last Folfiri treatment before ending it at least for the trial time of 11 weeks to to go see Dr. Cantrell in Nashville this week, start the new treatment and take it for 10 weeks, then rescan again. I fly out Wednesday and will have two appointments with him on Thursday and Friday, then fly home again Saturday. If all goes as Dr. Cantrell and I spoke about on the phone, I will be starting the treatment right away. I'll take the Lovastatin for 2 weeks and build up to the desired dose for my weight, then start in with the interferon after that and take the two combined for 8 weeks.
I'm a little nervous of what will or won't be seen on my PET scan tomorrow, but glad I'm getting scanned right before starting this new treatment of Lovastatin and interferon- we'll have my most up to date info from the scan and bloodwork and we'll know exactly what is in me at the start of this new treatment.

I'll let you know what my scan results are and then report in again after returning from Tenneessee. I'm actually also looking forward to this trip as a mini getaway as well- my sister in law is going with me and we'll visit with my nephew and his wife and hopefully have a couple of nice evenings with them.

I know there are several others who are going through things this week- chemo and trying to find clinical trials that will work, looking for answers for HIPEC treatment, plus more than just that, I'm sure (edit add on: I just read about John having colostomy surgery Monday or Tuesday- prayers will be with him). As I go on down this experimental road of treatment, my prayers are also with all of you for success and healing.

Take care everyone!
Lisa