WONDERFUL NEWS!!!!

So we met with the new oncologist today and got some AMAZING news!!!  The tumor is SHRINKING!!!!!!!  The chemo is working and the tumor is definitely smaller.  Almost half the size it was on the last visit and if you didn't know where to look, it would be hard to pinpoint.

I also lost 7 pounds since my last visit, but of course, not in the healthiest of ways.  But hey, I have some extra to spare, so I don't mind too much!

The next topic was what to do about the chemo and my recent hospital stay.  We basically have three options:

Option 1
Quit Chemo and do alternative treatments.

Option 2
Continue the same treatment plan, but decrease the amount of Taxotere.  Plus add an additional drug which I would get the day after my chemo treatments - a shot to help boost my white cell count.  The hope is that this would keep my white cell count higher longer and low for a shorter amount of time.  No guarantee that the decrease in Taxotere would prevent me from having another episode like I had two weeks ago.

Option 3
Start a new round of drugs for 4 treatments every three weeks, then add another two drugs for 12 treatments, weekly.  These drugs (unsure of the name) would have more of an impact on my heart, which is a concern given my family history of cardiac issues.

The doctors are going to collaborate and go over the pro's and con's of each to help determine what our best option is.  By the time we go in for Monday's chemo treatment, they should have more information from Tuesday's test and able to compare biopsies/slides from my previous ischemic colitis attack back in September to the most recent attack in February.  We are definitely at a crossroad here...  Hoping the doctors have some better insight on which route to go forward with.

Please keep us in your prayers Monday as we start our next round of chemo.  It's obvious this course of chemo is doing something as the tumor has shrunk drastically!  May it continue to shrink and may this next course not make me so ill.

Tonight I am buzzing my hair off.  I went to pull one strand and a HUGE clump of hair fell out.  It's getting a little annoying, so I am actually excited to get rid of it.  Who wants to go hat/scarve shopping with me???  :-)