tumor markers

[v-ness]

my anxiety level is volcanic lately. my mom had a massive pulmonary embolism a month ago yesterday and when they did a CT scan to figure out what might have caused the massive clots in both her legs, she only drank 1 of the 4 cups of contrast dye so it wasn't the best imagery. the doctor therefore ordered a CEA for colon cancer and CA-125 for ovarian. they saw nothing in the CT or the ultrasound of her belly. however the CA-125 came out at 275 when it should be no higher than 35. the hematologist (who is also my oncologist) said that she wasn't terribly concerned at all, in fact never would have ordered the test as it is not used as diagnostic. she said general malaise, clots themselves, infections, etc can also cause an elevated marker. so we relaxed. but she re-ran the test tuesday and it went from 275 up to 390 and now she "finds this concerning". mom is now having an intra-vaginal ultrasound tomorrow at 3 PM and i have literally been sick with anxiety since i heard about this on friday.

bad enough she almost died a month ago, and how she didn't stroke out we will never know. now she's trying to recover in a nursing home and we get this hanging over our heads. and here i am still in treatment for breast cancer! in fact i have herceptin 2 hours from now. i have been so concerned about trying to minimize my stress because i believe it plays a role in cancer and recurrence. but every day i wake up just sick to my stomach. i know - 'worry is just wishing for something you don't want to happen'.... but it's hard not to.

i know this isn't really her2+ related (except the fact that i am), but does anyone know much about tumor markers? it's all so confusing and i find ovarian cancer 10x more terrifying than breast. and if she has ovarian - all the more reason for me to get my one remaining out ASAP. i'm sorry, i am venting because i am sick of 4 days now of tears and anxiety. i am not sure i was even this nervous over my own tumor. in fact i went to my first biopsy utterly convinced it was benign. so now color me cynical.

valerie

[Mary Anne in TX]

Valerie, it's like stacking one problem on top of another and another and the stress just mounts up. It's hard enough to keep the stress and worry about ourselves in check and monumental to try to deal with that of someone we love so much.
I can merely add my love and support for your peace and sanity. I think you're doing really great to talk about it and get some insight from others. I'm glad you are around to support your mom and love on her and help her wait for the news and treatment to come. I do think that we fight the battles far better than we wait for the enemy to attack. love and prayers, ma

[Pam P]

Valerie, I just want to say I'm sorry your are going through so much with your own treatment and this additional worry with your mom's health. I don't know anything about those tumor markers I only get the ca2729. Hopefully the jump in numbers is still due to the other health issues your mom just went through. But good to be very proactive with the testing. If anything is found then it is probably caught very early and very treatable. I glad you posted this and hopefully it helps the stress level just a little to have this outlet. Pam

[ammebarb]

Valerie, I'm so sorry you and your mom are experiencing such rough roads. I hope that you are able to get results from her vaginal ultrasound quickly, so you don't have to imagine the worst....Hope the news is reassuring and she can continue to recuperate from the pulmonary embolism and you can settle back in to accomplishing your herceptin, without any more frightening problems. Sending best wishes and prayers for health and peace.

Barb A.

[schoolteacher]

Valerie,

Sorry about your mom. Hope you are feeling better this afternoon.

Amelia

[chrisy]

Valerie,
no words of wisdom - it's a lot to bear. Waiting for answers is the worst. Hang in there
Chris

['lizbeth]

Valerie,

That is a lot to bear. I am adding my prayers and good wishes to the rest. Hope that you will be past this stressful time soon!

[krisvell]

Valerie,
You're on my prayer list and I have just added your mom too. Sending positive thoughts & prayers your way. I am hoping for the best. I wish you didn't have to go thru this.
Kris....

[Soccermom]

Valerie,
Just by way of an fyi...CA125 although notoriously unreliably for OVCA an elevated number can indicate infection elsewhere in the body . It has also been found elevated in the metastatic BC setting. Most Docs are unaware of this connection ..
gentle loving hugs dear girl,
Marcia

[Paty]

Dear Valerie,

I can understand how terrified you feel after all this tests. As Marcia says, CA-125 is not good for diagnostic as it is a test that can be altered by any misfunction in the body. The intra-vaginal ultrasound will definetly help to get the right diagnosis. CA-125 is more reliable for the follow up of ovarian cancer after treatment has been given, but not to diagnose the illness as it causes many false positives and also negatives. I am sure your doctor will explain this better to you. Please let us know how your mom is feeling in the next days. All my love,

Paty

[Lien]

Dear Valerie

I'm so sorry you have all this on your plate. I wouldn't worry too much about the stress, though. I'm a very optimistic non-stressy person, eating the right diet and I breast-fed both my kids for almost a year. I got cancer anyway.

If you want to diminish your stress because you want to feel better: fine. Try doing yoga or tai chi or meditation. Visualize yourself in a beautiful garden surrounded by fragrant roses. Only people who give you love and energy are allowed in. As soon as someone gives you stress, you have a small remote control device with which you can zap them away. They end up behind the roses, without knowing what happened to them. This garden is the place where you can relax. If you want it to be filled with flowers, it is. If you want a ski-slope, or a pool, or a meadow full of horses, that's how it is. Make it your ideal place. And practice this every day. The more often you do it, the better it makes you feel.

Don't feel guilty if you need time away from it all. You will feel better after your relaxation exercises so you will be able to support your Mom and yourself.

Hugs

Jacqueline

[Karen Wheel]

Valerie - wow - sorry to hear this! I'm sorry to hear this - it is a lot to take on your plate (and your moms!) .... hang in there -

Don't forget to take care of YOURSELF too!!!!

;-)
Karen

[vlcarr]

Keeping you in my heart.

[flynny]

I know how the roller coaster can go and all I can say is hold on and keep staying positive! I pray she does well with everything.

Sarah