I saw my oncologist yesterday for my quarterly visit. My CA 15-3 tumour marker for January and April is staying steady at 40 and 39, respectively, and the rest of my bloodwork looks good. I have my annual scans coming up in the next two weeks but we expect them to be fine.
In barely-related to cancer news, about two weeks ago I developed severe stomach pain. I couldn't stand up straight, I couldn't eat, and I was exhausted all the time. I went off the Celebrex I've been taking for seven or eight years and saw my family doctor about a week ago. He put me on Dexilant, which reduces the acid in my stomach, and it's helped: I can eat normally. I can also try going back on the Celebrex today although there's no guarantee that I'll be able to stay on it.
The reason this is tangentially related to cancer is that I've been taking the Celebrex to deal with the joint pain caused by the Femara I've also been taking for years and years as well as the lower back pain I have. Since I've gone off the Celebrex, that joint pain in my hips and shoulders and the pain in my back has returned. I have a hard time sleeping because of the pain. Percocet can help me get to sleep but I'll usually wake up when it wears off. Sigh.
I talked with my oncologist about this and we've agreed that if I can't stay on the Celebrex to try some non-drug techniques for the pain. She's recommended Chinese acupuncture (apparently that kind has been shown to have a beneficial effect beyond the placebo effect) and cardiovascular exercise. I'm still carrying extra weight (not eating for a few days appears to have made no difference) and I know I'm out of shape so I'll see if I can set up our exercise bike again. I don't know what I think about acupuncture but I figure that it's unlikely to do me harm so it's not a bad idea to try it. All I have to do is find a suitable practitioner.
