Latest medical data

I've been holding out on you. For the last couple of weeks I've noticed less pain from my upper abdominal tumour (the one I showed in the PET scan). Then, pressing in that area, I noticed that the lump was reducing. On Tuesday I had my second Avastin infusion in Palmerston North. My PN oncologist, Richard Isaacs, was amazed. "The lump has gone", he said. "Yes", I replied. "I've been noticing, but didn't want to hope too much." "This is an excellent response to the Avastin", he declared.

All very good, but what would my latest CEA result show? Well I've also been holding out on publishing this data. My last reading three weeks ago showed the lowest rise in nearly a year. Today I got my latest CEA. It has almost halved, from 77 ng/ml to 45 ng/ml.







Today was Wellington Hospital infusion day, and my appointment with my local public system oncologist, Andy Simpson. Now it was his turn to be surprised and pleased. He didn't say so, but I'll bet he thinks it's the irinotecan/capecitabine he is giving me.

Of course only Miang and I know the real truth, which you can ascertain for yourselves by inspecting the graphs. The rising CEA was checked before chemo started. It is clearly Uncle CC's magic potato mix, which I have consumed every morning since day 430, or perhaps it is Lourdes's Noni juice, or Yang's TaiChi, or maybe the 9 hours sleep a night, or perhaps it is just better Paul taking charge?

Hey, whatever. I ain't complaining.

PS: Don't get too excited. I'm not cured. Just having a respite.

PPS: The two graphs are respectively linear and semi-log, for the afficionados.