CA 27.29

76!!!!!

76 is a fantabulously super awesome number. Ok, here comes the math and science- 76 is the number of my CA 27.29, also known as my breast cancer tumor marker. On 1/18/08 my number was 218. So my breast cancer tumor marker is down 66% since January. A normal, cancer-free person scores <38. I AM ALMOST A NORMAL CANCER-FREE PERSON!!!

Also, my generic cancer tumor marker or “CEA” is 5.8. That’s down 76% from 1/18 when it was at 23.9. A normal, cancer-free person scores <2.5 for a non-smoker and <5.0 for a smoker. So my generic cancer marker is about the same as a cancer-free smoker.

My doc said that if I continue to do well I will only need to be scanned once more this year. The doc also explained to me that the cancer in my lungs didn’t show up on any of the last couple of scans. So it is gone!!! This would explain why my cough is pretty much gone.

I was so scared going in yesterday. I had been feeling kind of achy and had a little bit of a sore throat, luckily I found out this is just due to some lingering pollen in the air. My mind was heavy with doubts about my diet- since my last tumor markers I had added more fruit and honey. It is such a relief to know that this did not impair my cancer-killing ability. Phew!

In my last post I said that if my dream came true (ca 60) I would be doing cart wheels. 76 is worth some cartwheels. It is so awesome to be almost better. The next challenge is repairing and rebuilding all the damage that has been done to my frail little granny body. I think it’s time to add some exercise to my routine. Time to celebrate!!! Celebration has changed. We won’t be busting out the champagne or chocolate. But we will bust a move! And maybe some karaoke from Oxygen! on demand. Dorky as this may sound, I do prefer it to going out and making hazy tequila-drenched memories.

My goal is to be completely better by the time there is a new president in the white house. That way I can look back on my breast cancer as a phenomenon of the Bush years. This makes perfect sense to me.