More progress

It is Friday about 1:00 our time (Eastern).  Here at CTCA, they are in the central time zone so it is noon.  For some reason I have the hardest time with that hour difference - especially in the morning when we have to get up and get to the hospital early to get our day under way.  I am not a morning person anyway, so not knowing what time it is, REALLY confuses me!

Our day began early this morning - getting here to have the port access and blood draw.  Then to see the doctor  - actually we see Irene, the physician's assistant between the times we see Dr. Neelam, our Oncologist.  Today we saw Irene.  She came into the room to see us and the very first thing she said to Arnie was..."your cancer marker is down."  That is what we have been looking at each and every time we come here and have blood work done - the CEA  -- carcinoembryonic antigen.

CEA is used mainly to monitor the treatment of cancer patients, especially those with colon cancer.  Patients with small or early-stage tumors have only slightly elevated CEA values.  If there are more advanced tumors or if they have spread, the CEA values will be higher. When CEA levels decrease after treatment, it means that most or all of the CEA producing tumor is gone. 

Several months ago Arnie's CEA was up to 37.  Over the next weeks of treatments, the blood tests showed that CEA value decreasing.  Two weeks ago, that CEA was 5.7 and today it was 3.8.

We are so encouraged as we continue on this journey.  God continues to bless us and provide for us.  We still feel we are where we are supposed to be - perhaps to be an encouragement to others. God has been so good to us!!!

I so appreciate hearing from you via your comments, emails...etc.   Please keep praying for us and for safe travels.    We saw some real idiots on the highway this time!!!  One person made a right turn from the extreme left lane, across 5 lanes of traffic, to exit off the highway.   Left us both shaking a bit!!

Keep us in your prayers and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!  I know we will -- we have so much to be thankful for!