Two weeks later
The two week appointment shows a slight improvement in red cells from 126 to 131 (any improvement is always most welcome!), with platelets up from 294 to 300. Sadly there is no update on the paraproteins, which is the key measurement for Husband’s WM these days.
The calcium was slightly high last time but at 2.56 this time it is in the normal range. The Doc knows that his patients often focus on numbers but wishes that they wouldn’t. He patiently explains that ‘normal is a range’ and ‘lots of things can affect calcium – in itself a slight imbalance means nothing’.
He reminds us that any cancerous process is potentially in the bone and that if it erodes the bone, calcium is released. But there’s no evidence to suggest that that’s what’s happening here. Weirdly, it’s depressing to have the doc speak about ‘cancerous processes’. It reminds me that this is a process – there is an inevitability about it. Cancer erodes – bodies, hopes, dreams. But it can be held at bay and even sent into retreat. We’re hoping that that’s what Ibrutinib is dong right now. It’s still a bit too early to tell but the signs are promising.
I repeat to myself, ‘in itself the calcium number means nothing, the numbers that do mean something (red cells and platelets) are gently going in the right direction’. Breathe and repeat.
Three weeks later
It’s always encouraging when the docs are relaxed enough to lengthen out the monitoring appointments a bit. The numbers are stable, with red cells up from 131 to 133 and platelets the same at 300. It is too soon for us to be given the paraprotein levels, which we are so desperate to hear. The next appointment is organised for 6 weeks, which we again take to be a good sign.
Six weeks later
Dr Inscrutable looks very relaxed as he reports ‘the bloods are improving. It will be gradual but you’re on the right track.’ We learn that the paraprotein count from 6 weeks ago was 24 – nicely down from the previous count of 32. We’d have loved to know what it was today but it takes time to get results.
It’s a bit like looking at the GPS on a long journey, watching the remaining miles coming down as one drives wearily through the night to get to ‘there’, to read ‘you have arrived’. Of course the ‘destination’ is remission, stability of disease, and it’s a series of journeys not just one. This cancer will keep re-activating, forcing a change of course. Still, we have remission in our sights and the miles are coming down at the moment.
There is a potential detour that could lengthen the journey. Husband’s PSA count is a bit high at 6.7 and it’s going up (5.1 late April, 6.7 late May and they haven’t checked since) so now he’s going to see a urologist.
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