Bel-bel

Grant sometimes asks me how my bel-bel is. In other words, my belly. Ha! Lately, sore.

I haven’t had a CA125 reading lately but I suspect it has risen beyond the 409 which is the last reading, and I’m feeling it now. Probably ascites (fluid) build up. Maybe some lesions on various surfaces in the abdomen.

I worked with my oncological exercise physiologist Jo on Thursday. She had me do things on a Pilates machine which didn’t feel like too much at the time, but it is possible we overdid the abs work a skosh. In any case, for the last couple days I’m feeling like I just want to sit or lie around, not be upright, for the bel-bel’s sake.

Luckily, I have the laparoscopy on Tuesday, so they’ll be able to drain off any fluid, and then we’ll also soon thereafter know what we’re dealing with.

I’m really wanting to do immunotherapy or something more effective and less toxic than chemo. So we’ll see. The plan is to send the biopsy results off for molecular testing in order for any treatment to be targeted. Jo also mentioned that it is a thing these days that they can create a vaccine specific to my body and the cancer that is currently there. So that might be a thing. We’ll chat with Guntupalli about that.

Also, I have started working on intake papers for the Canadian clinic. And have gotten my passport in process so hopefully it will come soon. I read up a little more about hyperthermia, and there are lots of ways to do it, and apparently some of it is being done in the U.S., so I’m unclear yet which kind the clinic in Canada can do that isn’t being done here. We’ll see.

Back to the laparoscopy, the procedure had been set for 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, and I/we will need to be there 2 hours in advance. But then they called and said, “We need to move it up, please be here by 7:00 a.m.” Ugh. That means leaving home by about 5:30 a.m. At least it is summer and not the dead of winter. So we should be up and out the door with the sunrise, or more correctly the “time-when-my-spot-on-the-Earth-first-turns-toward-the-Sun.”

I have pre-procedure instructions about sleeping in a clean bed, and taking anti-bacterial showers for three days in advance, and only wearing clean clothes. Today/tonight is the time to implement that.

I also have pre-procedure instructions from Dr. West to help me handle and heal from surgery as easily as possible, so I’m also implementing those. Light, easily digestible food. Only certain supplements. It’s a lighter protocol than normal, so that is being a nice break from the pill-fatigue I was feeling.

Anyway, thought I’d inform you of what is up. If you feel it, please send up some healing thoughts/prayers/vibes for whatever is for the best for me, and for us all.

Merci.

(Header image is from the Colorado Ovarian Cancer Alliance.  Here. )