Pop on your happy goggles!

I just saw that expression from the dirtgirlworld page on Facebook and I LOVE it! I'm so using it all the time now! It's especially fitting today, though, because my CAT scan this morning came back showing no new disease.  Woohoo!!  Now this doesn't mean no disease at all, but that the disease is stable.  There are a few areas to watch for, namely some nodules in my lungs that most likely are from inflammation (from something like allergies or a cold), but could be the beginnings of tumors.  So we watch them.  The lesion on my spine has resolved, the inguinal nodes in my left groin have resolved, and, my favorite, my gallbladder, spleen, pancreas, adrenal glands, bladder, uterus, and remaining fallopian tube are all unremarkable (I love that word).  There has been a mild decrease in fluid in my left lung, and a mild increase in my right, but my doc doesn't think that means much of anything right now.  The fluid is still minor and not an immediate cause for concern.

Ok, so we continued today on the same treatment of epirubicin and 5-FU(!).  I was convinced the cancer on my skin was spreading, but my doc said the lesions she originally saw (which I did not) are gone, and the remaining rash looks like it may be from inflammation rather than cancer.  So same treatment today with the understanding that we will reassess the skin at my next appointment and, if it seems to be spreading, she will change my treatment then.  We'll assess using, as she says, our "external CAT scan," or my skin. She also let me know we still have other treatments to consider before moving to clinical trials, and since I'm unknown primary, after the standard gastric treatments, she can essentially just make stuff up as she sees fit, which I thought was funny.  Like a mad scientist, she can throw treatments in a glass beaker filled with green, smoking fluid, and inject me with it at will.  Mmmmwwwahahahahaaaaaa.

So as for the clinical trials, I was rejected for the first one she applied me for, as it was for gastric cancer and I am unknown primary.  She has submitted my info for an immunotherapy-based trial which I am STOKED about, since that's the treatment I want, being that the cancer is in my lymphatic system and the lymphatic system is the body's major immune system. However, very few people are selected for this trial as they have to be positive for a certain protein expression, and very few people have it.  In addition, they may say no solely based on my diagnosis, which is not gastric cancer.  So I expressed concern over this, but Dr. Dotan assured me that I would be accepted at least for Phase I trials even with my diagnosis, and there are plenty of phase I immunotherapy trials in the works.  Phase I trials are done to determine toxicity in humans, as the drugs have not been tested on humans before.  Whatevs.  Like I'm not a human guinea pig already. If it works, who cares that it went straight from a rat to me??

Ok, so that's the news today.  As I will most likely be sleeping all weekend (this treatment does that to me), I'd like you all to pop on your happy goggles and go enjoy the weather, wherever you are!

xo,
Lisa

PS - As I mentioned last time, there is a lot of bad juju going on in my immediate cancer world, so if you would, please send those good vibes to all survivors, caregivers, and those whose fight is ending.  Let's do a universal spirit lift this weekend, shall we?!