Well, it has been just over a month since my last update. In case you were wondering, the wedding turned out perfect! The weather was beautiful, I felt the best I've felt all year, and it was just an over all extremely amazing day! Shout out to everyone who helped to make it possible and everyone who was there.
So, a few days after the wedding (July 5) I went back to receive my 3rd round of chemo. Overall it was a little worse than Round 2 but not totally awful. I've started having a little more ringing in my ears, which is a side effect of the cisplatin and is concerning since that drug can cause hearing loss. I have to monitor that. I was recovered well enough from side effects by Alan's birthday (July 19) that we were able to take a short, one-night trip to Niagara Falls to celebrate. We also considered it a bit of a mini-honey moon.
Last Friday (July 22) I went in to have a new brain MRI and full body CT done. Today I went in to see my doctor and discuss next steps. The brain MRI was still negative (no tumors) and the CT showed a significant reduction in the pancreas and liver tumors. For the tumors that the report specifically listed out, it was about a 75% reduction in area. Unfortunately, the radiologist did not list out the size of every single tumor, but my doctor did say that they were all similarly smaller. This is considered an extremely good response to the drugs that I've been on.
My doctor's plan of action from here is that I should do another 3 rounds of the same treatment, and I started the first one today. After these 3 rounds, we will do another scan and decide how to proceed from there. I was also able to get an appointment with another national specialist in New Orleans, who specifically specializes in High Grade cases. I will see him right around the time that I finish the 6th round of chemo, so I will compare his treatment plan to what my doctor says after my new scans and go from there.
We have our honeymoon coming up soon, a Caribbean cruise. I am excited and hope that I am fully recovered from any side effects I have from this week of treatment, and that I don't have any issues.
