level dropping

sheri22
sheri22 Member Posts: 273
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
befor I get my hopes up too high what does thisn ca level mean I know it means chemo is working but how good is 40 it was 125 on Jan 22 when I was diagnosed have had 3 tx so far
is 40 a low level to get my hopes up for thANKS for any info

SHERI 22

Comments

  • kimby
    kimby Member Posts: 797
    #2
    CEA Levels
    Sherri,

    CEA levels can be a good indicator for some and not for others. Also, what is high for some is not for others. They found my mets with a level of 3.5. For me, trends seem to be the best indication not the number. So, in my mind, that means good news for you! You are trending down in a MAJOR way! WooHoo! Yes, I think you can get excited about that! Celebrate everything you can!

    Kimby
  • sheri22
    sheri22 Member Posts: 273
    #3
    kimby said:

    CEA Levels
    Sherri,

    CEA levels can be a good indicator for some and not for others. Also, what is high for some is not for others. They found my mets with a level of 3.5. For me, trends seem to be the best indication not the number. So, in my mind, that means good news for you! You are trending down in a MAJOR way! WooHoo! Yes, I think you can get excited about that! Celebrate everything you can!

    Kimby

    Tanks
    Kimby thanks for the news how are you doing by the way? I read your post about the book, I gotta get to the library to get that sounds like a good book let me know how your doing


    Sheri22
  • kimby
    kimby Member Posts: 797
    #4
    sheri22 said:

    Tanks
    Kimby thanks for the news how are you doing by the way? I read your post about the book, I gotta get to the library to get that sounds like a good book let me know how your doing


    Sheri22

    Sherri
    I'm doing fabilicious, thanks! This round of chemo isn't too bad (mitomycin, avastin and xeloda) although I've only had 2 cycles. I'm half way through liver radiation treatments. So far, so good!

    Kimby
  • sheri22
    sheri22 Member Posts: 273
    #5
    kimby said:

    Sherri
    I'm doing fabilicious, thanks! This round of chemo isn't too bad (mitomycin, avastin and xeloda) although I've only had 2 cycles. I'm half way through liver radiation treatments. So far, so good!

    Kimby

    Kimby
    Glad to hear your doing good I get the Avastin too dont know for sure what others some kind of steroid though I did learn a lesson today thogh I HAD to have 2 mcdonalds burritos while starting chemo this morning not a smart idea not too bad but not fun
    neither, guess we live and learn so I cant really complain about today just wont do
    the greasy burritos again, keep doing good
    Sheri22
  • Shayenne
    Shayenne Member Posts: 2,342
    #6
    sheri22 said:

    Kimby
    Glad to hear your doing good I get the Avastin too dont know for sure what others some kind of steroid though I did learn a lesson today thogh I HAD to have 2 mcdonalds burritos while starting chemo this morning not a smart idea not too bad but not fun
    neither, guess we live and learn so I cant really complain about today just wont do
    the greasy burritos again, keep doing good
    Sheri22

    I had McDonalds....
    ...yesterday! tell ya honestly, I haven't been eating the right foods, I wish I knew what to eat and what not to eat, but I been eating alot of junk to just gain weight! I don't want to keep losing weight after each chemo treatment, so I been eating just to get some high calories in me to keep weight on.. how to eat right and healthy, and gain weight is hard for me :(
  • kimby
    kimby Member Posts: 797
    #7
    Shayenne said:

    I had McDonalds....
    ...yesterday! tell ya honestly, I haven't been eating the right foods, I wish I knew what to eat and what not to eat, but I been eating alot of junk to just gain weight! I don't want to keep losing weight after each chemo treatment, so I been eating just to get some high calories in me to keep weight on.. how to eat right and healthy, and gain weight is hard for me :(

    protein shakes
    Try protein shakes. I make my own with fruit and sometimes ice cream. Make is yummy and have it for a snack. You'll be pudgy before you know it. LOL

    Kimby
  • Shayenne
    Shayenne Member Posts: 2,342
    #8
    kimby said:

    protein shakes
    Try protein shakes. I make my own with fruit and sometimes ice cream. Make is yummy and have it for a snack. You'll be pudgy before you know it. LOL

    Kimby

    OoOo..
    Sounds yummy though! my hubby made this one protein shake for me with Whey protein I think it was??? and it was just horrible though.. maybe if I have him add ice cream in it, it will taste better..I do like Ensure though!
  • msccolon
    msccolon Member Posts: 1,917
    #9
    Shayenne said:

    OoOo..
    Sounds yummy though! my hubby made this one protein shake for me with Whey protein I think it was??? and it was just horrible though.. maybe if I have him add ice cream in it, it will taste better..I do like Ensure though!

    weight gain recipes
    1 (8 oz) can vanilla nutritional energy drink supplement, chilled
    1 C frozen strawberries
    2 t sugar.

    Place supplement and strawberries in a blender. Add sugar and blend until smooth

    320 calories
    11 g protein
    62 g carbohydrate

    Weight gain pancakes

    1/2 C pancake and waffle mix
    1/2 C vanilla nutritional energy drink supplement
    1 large egg
    1 T canola oil

    Preheat griddle to 400 or until drops of water sizzle then evaporate on griddle. Combine all ingredients and mix with a wire whip or fork until fairly smooth. Do not overmix as this will cause thin, tough pancakes. Let batter stand 1 or 2 minutes. Pour a scant 1/2 C of batter for each pancake onto a lightly greased griddle. Turn pancakes when edges look cooked and tops are covered with bubbles. Turn only once.

    80 calories
    3 g protein
    10 g carbohydrate

    These are from a cookbook titled Eating well through cancer. I TOTALLY recommend it. I got it free from the onc's office, supplied by sanofi-aventis, but I am sure they can be found at any bookstore
  • kimby
    kimby Member Posts: 797
    #10
    Shayenne said:

    OoOo..
    Sounds yummy though! my hubby made this one protein shake for me with Whey protein I think it was??? and it was just horrible though.. maybe if I have him add ice cream in it, it will taste better..I do like Ensure though!

    protein shakes
    Try this one as it is my kids favorite and you know how picky they can be!

    1c milk
    1 scoop whey protein
    1/2 frozen banana (when they start to go black I peel them and stick each one in a ziplock bag for the freezer)
    1 tsp vanilla
    1 Tbls honey

    You can also add other fruits and use some silken tofu (sounds gross but thickens shakes well if not using frozen fruit and adds no flavor at all)

    Kimby
  • Buzzard
    Buzzard Member Posts: 3,043 Member
    #11
    msccolon said:

    weight gain recipes
    1 (8 oz) can vanilla nutritional energy drink supplement, chilled
    1 C frozen strawberries
    2 t sugar.

    Place supplement and strawberries in a blender. Add sugar and blend until smooth

    320 calories
    11 g protein
    62 g carbohydrate

    Weight gain pancakes

    1/2 C pancake and waffle mix
    1/2 C vanilla nutritional energy drink supplement
    1 large egg
    1 T canola oil

    Preheat griddle to 400 or until drops of water sizzle then evaporate on griddle. Combine all ingredients and mix with a wire whip or fork until fairly smooth. Do not overmix as this will cause thin, tough pancakes. Let batter stand 1 or 2 minutes. Pour a scant 1/2 C of batter for each pancake onto a lightly greased griddle. Turn pancakes when edges look cooked and tops are covered with bubbles. Turn only once.

    80 calories
    3 g protein
    10 g carbohydrate

    These are from a cookbook titled Eating well through cancer. I TOTALLY recommend it. I got it free from the onc's office, supplied by sanofi-aventis, but I am sure they can be found at any bookstore

    Be Careful.......if its cold
    If you are on Oxiliplatin you won't be able to tolerate the cold drinks, and I think a warm milkshake would be nasty....LOL....I usually lose8-12# chemo week and gain most of it back on the off weeks. Its not very healthy but I want to keep my weight up while treatments are going. Ensure is nasty warm but I manage to get one down every day or two. Spicy foods are good for me to help keep me fat and sassy and also I think it overwhelms the nausea although they say that greasy foods make you more nauseous it seems to work for me, another thing to try for a dessert type food is cottage cheese and peaches. Great dessert and it is very tolerable for me in about 3 days (Wednesday) during chemo week.....Hope this helps...I took my family to get milk shakes the other night and when I got there I remembered that I couldn't get one..... :-( ...but the old standby coffee to me is just as good....I bet when this is all over ya won't take cold drinks for granted anymore...LOL....Keep Smiling .......God Bless ya.....
  • Shayenne
    Shayenne Member Posts: 2,342
    #12
    kimby said:

    protein shakes
    Try this one as it is my kids favorite and you know how picky they can be!

    1c milk
    1 scoop whey protein
    1/2 frozen banana (when they start to go black I peel them and stick each one in a ziplock bag for the freezer)
    1 tsp vanilla
    1 Tbls honey

    You can also add other fruits and use some silken tofu (sounds gross but thickens shakes well if not using frozen fruit and adds no flavor at all)

    Kimby

    Actually....
    ...that whey protein sounds good kimby, and I actually put tofu in this eggplant dish I made.. it's from the Dr. Phil cookbook for weight loss, and tofu just takes on the taste of anything you mix it with, it's just added protein, pretty good for you!

    Aww, I feel bad for you Buzzard and the others who can't have cold drinks. Is that only during the treatment, or does that cold sensitivity go away on the "off chemo" weeks??

    I did order the Eating Well with Cancer cookbooks and a few other cookbooks through Amazon that should give me an idea on what would be good to eat, thanks for the weight gain recipes, those sound good, and will be making those as well!
  • maglets
    maglets Member Posts: 2,576
    #13
    Shayenne said:

    Actually....
    ...that whey protein sounds good kimby, and I actually put tofu in this eggplant dish I made.. it's from the Dr. Phil cookbook for weight loss, and tofu just takes on the taste of anything you mix it with, it's just added protein, pretty good for you!

    Aww, I feel bad for you Buzzard and the others who can't have cold drinks. Is that only during the treatment, or does that cold sensitivity go away on the "off chemo" weeks??

    I did order the Eating Well with Cancer cookbooks and a few other cookbooks through Amazon that should give me an idea on what would be good to eat, thanks for the weight gain recipes, those sound good, and will be making those as well!

    good to hear from you
    Hi Sheri....good to hear from you...I think it's a good sign those CEA's are falling ...hang in there sweetie..

    Best regards'
    Mags

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