Today I went to my 4th round of chemotheraphy. For the first time, without Shahid. Muzaffar sent me and later Zana, Nadeem & Nabeel picked me up from the hospital and sent me home.
My CA125 test after my 2nd chemo was 41, after my 3rd chemo it was 15! Normal values range from 0 to 35. CA-125 stands for Cancer Antigen 125. The CA-125 test looks for the presence of a protein on the surface of cells from the ovary. Elevated levels of this protein have been associated with other types of cancer, but it is considered a biomarker for ovarian cancer.
Zana, Nadeem (the kobishead), Nabeel & I celebrated by having nasi kukus ayam berempah. Yeay!!!!
I had a chemo port installed for my chemo. My oncologist recommended that I have a port or "port-a-cath" inserted in my upper chest wall (the space between your collarbone and your breast) to make chemotherapy easier and more comfortable for me. The port is about the size of a 20 cent shilling, only thicker, and what you can see is only a bump underneath the skin. There are several benefits to having a port:
(a) No need to find a vein every time you receive chemo. A special needle fits right into the port, so all you feel is the stick—not the poking, prodding, and false tries in your arm.
(b) A port may be especially valuable for those, like me, who might be experiencing some swelling of the arm on the side of their surgery.
I had a chemo port installed for my chemo. My oncologist recommended that I have a port or "port-a-cath" inserted in my upper chest wall (the space between your collarbone and your breast) to make chemotherapy easier and more comfortable for me. The port is about the size of a 20 cent shilling, only thicker, and what you can see is only a bump underneath the skin. There are several benefits to having a port:
(a) No need to find a vein every time you receive chemo. A special needle fits right into the port, so all you feel is the stick—not the poking, prodding, and false tries in your arm.
(b) A port may be especially valuable for those, like me, who might be experiencing some swelling of the arm on the side of their surgery.
(c) The medication goes right into the main blood supply entering the heart, so it can be sent quickly and efficiently to all parts of the body.
(d) Some types of chemotherapy can be very uncomfortable if injected into a vein just under your skin. The port avoids this potential discomfort.
(d) Some types of chemotherapy can be very uncomfortable if injected into a vein just under your skin. The port avoids this potential discomfort.
(e) Getting blood for blood tests can usually be done through the port, decreasing the number of times you need to have a vein "stuck."
Me, during chemo
I did not move about during chemo. The only reason was : I was so bloody "seghiau". So takut the thing like tercabut!! Since I was alone throughout the 2 hours theraphy, I was so bloody bored. Selalunya my phone rings non stop, tapi hari ni sunyi sepi. *sigh* I brought a book, but reading "hurts my mind" hahaha! Next time better bring Ikea Catalogue! Sure like 2 hours fly by!
3 comments:
yeah, fight on abi!
Abi you boleh jadi duta tukang jawab pasal chemo. Boleh tak ? I pass your blog to some of my friends so that they know more about it. Anyway, hang in there. Jangan lupa makan bitamin, bila abis cakap aje, nanti I top-up.
thanks tasha and art! i am honoured! would love to share the experience! i've been taking the vitamins religiously.. want to get well soon!!
Post a Comment