Good News and Tidings of Great Joy!

Life has been very good lately.  I recently went to the doctor and had my CA-125 Blood test taken again.  This blood test is a tumor marker and helps the doctors know how my cancer is reacting to the chemotherapy.  Normal is 0-35.  When I was first diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer my CA-125 was 687.9.  After surgery it was 307.3 and after my first round of chemo it was 165.1.  Since then it has continued to go down.  My sweet husband offered to make a chart and graph so I could enjoy the success I was having in this area.  As you can see, my last CA-125 test taken on November 30th was the lowest it's been at 10.3.  Yippee!

                                                                             (Normal is 0-35)

I am so grateful to be feeling so good this Christmas season.  I think back to how fragile I was last year and I am over joyed with my progression.  Every now and then I have a down time, wondering when my cancer will come back, but my husband is so good about helping me to live in the NOW and enjoy the blessings that I am able to experience right NOW!  Ovarian cancer never goes into remission, however when the cancer is at bay, it is called N.E.D. (No Evidence of Disease).  So I am in N.E.D. right now. :-)

I'm busy doing all the normal things that everyone else is doing this season and I'm thrilled that I am healthy enough to do it! I'm Christmas shopping and wrapping for kids and grand kids,  making bread for a friend's birthday, making cinnamon rolls for my neighbor gifts, taking dinner to my visiting teaching sister who is sick and helping my daughter plan for a wedding.  I'm even well enough to take an elderly sister to our Relief Society Christmas dinner tonight.  Last year I was the one who was picked up and taken to the dinner, not knowing if I would have the energy to stay the whole night or not.  How wonderful to be on the other end of giving again!  I'm enjoying myself so much this Christmas season, I hope you are too.  My mother used to tell me, "If you are feeling sad, (which often happens this time of year) look outside of yourself and find someone who looks sad or lonely too and reach out and serve them.  You'll be surprised how fast your sadness is cured!"