A quick update

I haven't posted anything in a while because there isn't much to tell you about.  I did get some blood work done last week and so far, all is good.  CBC and blood chemistry.  Liver function tests included in the blood chemistry and those are all normal!  I haven't seen the CgA (tumor marker) results yet but it should be available this week sometime.  My Pancreastatin and (for the first time) Neurokinin A was sent to ISI in California so those take 3 weeks to come back.  I probably won't know those results until I meet with Dr. Whisenant on the 19th.  I might be able to get the results through LabCorp. but I'm very frustrated with their website right now.  I've tried to log-in all morning but it wont' take my password and when I reset it, it resets my Microsoft password. Weird.  Frustrating.  I give up!

I did get my appeal approved for the last CgA test I had done through my old insurance.  Talk about stupid. They paid $22 of the $236 charge, which is the "allowed" and "contracted" amount.  I owe nothing.  So, if no insurance, a simple blood test costs over $200!  Crazy.  At least with BCBS, I don't have to worry about pre-authorization for blood tests!  Duh.

I am still not sure about NOT having a 6 month scan.  Dr. Whisenant said he didn't think I needed one unless by tumor markers increased but that it was up to me.  I know I probably don't need one but I'd still like to know what is going on. I know it won't make any difference treatment-wise unless I had a lot of progression or new tumors (very unlikely) and we should see that in the tumor marker blood tests first.  I have read other patients stories about having normal blood tests and seeing tumor progression anyway so I still worry.  I guess I will talk to the doc about it when I see him.  It's my life after all (and my money too)!

If you are curious about Neurokinin A (NKA), it is more of a prognostic blood marker test.  I found this in a study paper:

Turner has shown in a retrospective study using a clinical
database comprising 117 midgut carcinoid patients that NKA
is an excellent prognostic indicator. In the patients who
presented with NKA > 50 ng/l (45 pmol/l) survival at 5 years
was 18%, whereas in the group who presented with NKA
levels lower than this threshold the survival at 5 years was
70% 

I think the prognosis is a bit better than listed above.  As much as 84% at 5 years for the <50 group.  I wanted this test run a long time ago but didn't push for it.  I didn't have to push at all. I just asked him (Dr.) to do it and he did.  It'll be interesting to see what my results are.  Although I don't put much stock in just numbers and statistics.  We are all so different.  Every patients disease seems to take a different clinical course.  Its one of the reasons it's so hard to treat.  

Sister's trip w/o me!

I thought I better post something even though I have no medical news to report... except I did go in for my Sandostatin shot yesterday.  It was uneventful--just how I like them (and with a $17,000 price tag, I better like them)!

Our yearly sisters trip was this week.  My sisters went without me!  They are enjoying the sun and sand of Mazatlan, Mexico.  I was sort of bummed about not going but I just don't have any vacation time at work due to my liver surgery back in Feb.  I also didn't have the money for the flight.  My oldest sis, whom I live with, has a time-share there so I only had to come up with $$ for the flight and food, etc.  Oh well, maybe next year (but I'm never going to have extra cash hanging around).

I tweaked my back on Sunday.  I have NO idea what I could have done to it.  I actually thought perhaps I slept too long... 11 hours Saturday night!  It was the latest I've slept-in for a long, long time and I felt great!  The best I've felt in years.  I went and rode Abbie and cleaned her stall but didn't twist or do anything that would have hurt my back (that I felt).  After I got home and relaxed on the couch (watched TV) I tried to stand up and just about couldn't!  It feels more like my hip but is on the lower left side so I don't know if that is considered your back or hip?  The major problem is I can't sleep!  It hurts every time I move and I sleep on my side (either) or my back.  I think I roll from side to side or back to side a lot during the night and every time I try to roll-over it hurts so bad!  Last night I caved in and took a tramadol--my go-to pain pill.  It did nothing so I got up around midnight and took an over-the-counter sleep med.  That didn't help either!  I am so tired today but I think my back pain is actually getting a little better this afternoon!  Yeah!  Of course since I don't remember actually hurting my back, my thoughts turn to cancer.  Is it cancer?  Has it spread to my bones?  Oh no!  I try so hard not to think along those lines but I know it is normal to think this way.  I decided that if it doesn't get better, I will just wait until my appointment with my Oncologist next month and talk to him, however, I'm pretty sure it'll be 100% better before then.  Whew.

The weather has gotten very Fall-ish the last couple of weeks.  Even downright Winter-ish.  It was a whopping 32 degrees this morning when I left for work.  It's warmed up to a nice 50 this afternoon.  Geez, I wish Fall would hang around a while longer!

I'm going in next week for my blood draw.  It takes at least two full weeks for the pancreastatin test to come back (maybe even three) and I want to make sure it's back before my appointment with my Onc.  Last time my WBC (white blood count) was a little high and so was my granulocytes.  I'm curious to see what they are now.  He (Onc.) didn't say anything about it so?

That's my quick update.  Sister gets back Friday night.  It's been a nice break for us.  Living together can be challenging at times!