Now, what?

Now that I'm nearing the end of chemotherapy and only one daily pill will be between me and more cancer, I'm much more motivated to Do Things Right.  Last week's 60 Minutes feature on the relationship between sugar and cancer was like a slap upside the head.  Nary a morsel of sugar - or anything ending in -ose - has passed my lips all week.

Along those lines, I emailed my oncologist and asked if he could add vitamin D level testing as a standing order.  Low vitamin D levels are correlated with breast cancer so my plan was to learn what mine is and raise it through a combination of sun, supplementation and nutrition.  I know it needs attention because a year ago it was considered okay but now I know it should be much higher than the current norms. And while I was at it I asked what my latest tumor marker showed.

He had no problem with the D level testing, but he created a problem for me when he responded about the tumor marker.  After the first six cycles of chemotherapy it is higher than it has ever been.  Something is wrong. The last CT scan showed almost nothing so I expected the tumor marker to be falling, not rising.  So I asked him to order just the tumor marker testing three days before I see him next because it takes longer to "cook" and I want to have the results when I see him.  It will show change after the seventh chemotherapy cycle.  Hopefully the change is down-change, not another rise.

My list of concerns and questions is growing....