An Update From Merlynn

Merlynn sent the following info in an email, and I thought he explained what's going on much better than I can. He told me I could include this update on my blog.

"Once a month Laurie and I go to the Utah Cancer Specialists Clinic (UCS) at the Intermountain Medical Center. Depending on whether we have to wait to see the oncologist, we're normally there for less than an hour. I get a shot in my behind from a nurse, which takes about 10 minutes, and occasionally we get to see the oncologist for another 10 minutes. Most of the time we spend in the clinic we are just waiting for things to happen. 

The shots I am taking, 30 mg Sandostatin LAR, are quite expensive but are very effective in controlling the very undesirable symptoms of carcinoid cancer and are also supposed to slow the growth of the tumors. The needle is the size of a small harpoon but needs to be that big and long because the injection has to go into the muscle and consists of a time-release powdered drug which is dissolved in the liquid phase just prior to the nurse doing her thing. All this being said, we were still surprised at the amount that UCS billed for only my Dec 14, 2011 office visit. Please see the attached graphic. (If you click on it, you'll be able to see it better.) All we can say is: Thank Heavens for good health insurance!!!

 

I had some blood work done last week and had the first CT scan done since Sept. 28, 2011 when I was diagnosed. The scan indicated that the tumors in my liver are "stable", although some of them are quite large, 3" x 1 1/2" x 1", and that there appeared to be no cancer tumors outside of my liver. We are quite anxious to get the "no cancer tumors outside of my liver" confirmed by a more specialized scan called an "octreoscan" that is designed just for detecting carcinoid tumors. That scan is scheduled over a 3 day period next week.

 

The Chromogranin-A (CgA) cancer marker in my blood work was down to 66, which is by far the lowest it has been since I started the shots when it was 1,900+.

 

All in all I feel really great, we feel very blessed that things are going well, and the bills are being paid! Thank you for your faith and prayers in our behalf. "

 

(This is Laurie again.) I just thought I'd mention that the shots Mer's been getting have gotten easier to take. There have been fewer side effects and less pain at the injection site. As Merlynn has said, "All's well that goes in the end well!"