What a couple of months this has been! (long read to good news)  I can't believe I haven't updated since mid-May but it has been such a roller coaster.  Right after I finished my first two months of chemo, somehow, I came down with Covid and I hadn't been around hardly anyone.  That was rough.  Really sore throat and fever for two days, but the fatigue lingered, and also held up my CT Scan and third round of treatment.  So finally, two weeks delayed, my CT Scan came back with no changes - so on to other tests to see some spots are even cancer - my glitter is still glitter.  In the meantime, my Thyroid tests came back as negative, so knock that out, along with bones and liver both negative.  

Then my DNA tests came back on the original tumor.  I have a slow growing cancer with none of the "bad" mutations, plus I am PD-L1 negative.  PD-L1 is like a shield that cancer cells put up to disguise themselves from chemo and the immune system.  So that is good news.

More technical info is that my CEA (circulating cancer cells) which started as barely above normal at 5.4 has now dropped to 2.3 (normal)  So more good news! I'm tested on that 2x a month, and it has dropped every time. 

But then, on top of Covid, over the July 4th weekend I developed a pain in my neck, that worsened by the 4th,  Doc sent me to emergency  - which is an event in itself on a holiday weekend in a tourist town. (be grateful for your health!)   Turns out I have a DVT (blood clot) in my right jugular vein.  No idea how that happened.  Prescribed blood thinners and sent me home.  While it was painful for a few days, it is resolving. 

Friday the 8th I had ANOTHER procedure - an endoscopy to look at my upper chest and lymph nodes.  While they took a few FINA(fine needle aspirations), he said they did not look like cancer, but sarcoidosis, so knock those out too! I should have final results on that soon. That just leaves my spleen and a few other lymph nodes to check out.  

My oncologist is very optimistic about my treatment, and after Weds, I will be halfway done.  The chemo is not too bad, I get tired, but that's it.  Crossed fingers that I can stay "healthy" from whatever else is out there.   I should have another CT scan in August, and more info after that.   I should be done with chemo by the end of October.

Martin is hanging in there, biking most days, taking care of me the rest.  The heat down here has been intolerable.  I've gotten to sail, tube the river, and stand up paddle board (ok mostly sit down paddle board), but I have to be done by 10 am.  

 Thank you again for all the prayers and good wishes, phone calls and stupid videos, not to mention the homemade rhubarb pie and chocolate cookies!  Hugs!