Still Here!

 I'm Still here!

 I know its been a long time since my last post, I won't apologise as I have been busy just getting on with life!

Whilst I'm still currently on "watch and wait" Pseudomyxoma has been far from my mind. I continue to be well and I'm making the most of every minute of it! I have been on watch and wait now for three years or more and little has changed.

I continue with annual CT scans and bloods being taken to measure my tumour markers at the six month mark between scans.

The blood results have been OK but the markers are steadily on the rise-


Tumour Marker       2017                2018        should be less than
         
CEA                         4 ug/L                5 ug/L            5.00 ug/L
CA 19-9                 18 kU/L              20 kU/L          35.00 kU/L
CA125                     5 kU/L                6 kU/L          35.00 kU/L

This continues a trend from the 2016 results. Whilst both the CA19-9 and the CA125 markers are within the normal range the CEA is right on the top end of the normal range for 2018. Am I worried....? Not yet, whats to say the next results might not reduce? I guess I'll just have to wait and see. I suspect that the tumour markers alone are not something to be worried about and are only part of the diagnostics. The next CT scan will be the real test....

Talking of which, I now have a date; 19th October. Judging by my last CT I don't expect to hear of any results for around four weeks after the scan has been done. So that puts the date somewhere around mid to late November. Fingers crossed!

As I have eluded to above we have continued to get on with life. I continue to enjoy keeping fit although have suffered with my back again recently. So it looks like my running days are over, time for a road bike me thinks! I have continued to swim regularly and have enjoyed it very much. You may have noticed that I have created a "Club" on Strava for people with Pseudomyxoma to share their achievements.

We have been lucky enough to have some good holidays here in the UK and have been blessed by an amazing summer with long periods of hot weather. I continue to enjoy my amateur photography and film making. It satisfies my creative appetite! Here's just a few of my favourites!

   
                                          Ilfracombe, Devon.

                                         Newqay, Cornwall.
               

                                         Mousehole, Cornwall.                                      

So I plan to give you my next update after my CT scan and blood results have been issued some time in November. Hopefully the news will be good. As the saying goes for now I'll just "keep calm and carry on!".......