Diagnosis: Afterparty

I interrupt your Wednesday for a quick update, and to throw a mid-week dance party.

I’m sitting here at chemotherapy, and my pre-chemo bloodwork just came back. They test a zillion different markers to make sure I’m healthy enough to withstand the day’s treatment, among them the levels of Carcinoembryonic Antigen (or, CEA). The CEA test measures a level of protein in the blood that acts as a tumor marker, primarily used to monitor treatment effectiveness in cancers like colon cancer. Normal levels are generally 0–3 ng/mL.

When I first started treatment, my levels were fluctuating between 27 ng/mL and 45 ng/mL. Today’s pre-treatment read?

9.7 ng/mL

After just one treatment.

For the last two weeks, the numbers look like Krang might be actively shrinking! You thought I was an anomaly before, excited for chemo? Now I’m going to be an absolute chemo menace; give me MORE!

But first, I have to finish this dance party in the chemo room… because I took the drugs and the drugs are working.