It’s been a while since I posted an update so there’s plenty to share. I started Carboplatin and Gemcitabine in November. I tolerated it well, mostly just fatigue and minor digestive issues. I also met with a phase 1 trial dr at the Mayo who had a study he felt I would be a good for if I needed to change treatments after my next scan. 
I spent a lot of time working on how to stop working while keeping health insurance and finances as stable as possible. Phone calls, paperwork, emails, etc. It was almost like a second job! Thankfully everything lined up and I officially went on disability leave as of Dec 16. I had been at Aetna for 21 years and I was very fortunate to have awesome coworkers and supervisors. They have been so supportive and I intend to keep in touch. Being done with work gave me time to focus on getting everything ready for Christmas. We had a great family Christmas at my brother and sister in law’s cabin, and then some quieter time at home.
Jan 4-9 Scott and I joined a large group of friends for a vacation to Punta Cana. It was so nice and relaxing - sitting by the beach and the pool 🌴🍍🍹I even enjoyed the buggy ride through the muddy countryside! My mom and Jeff stayed with the kids when we were gone and spoiled them like grandparents do. 😜 Boy they were excited when we got back. They were jumping all over me, which I think lead to hurting my back. It’s recovering slowly but I’m still hobbling a bit.
I went right back to chemo the next day. Then my PET scan was scheduled for a week after that. I was feeling a little optimistic because my liver wasn’t feeling as “full” on physical exam and some of my tumor markers were down (others not so much). As so often is the case with me - Most of my cancer responded to the chemo while some didn’t. Unfortunately the part that didn’t is a large tumor in my liver that appears to be fast growing. Because of this my dr is recommending I change treatments. Again. Sigh. Each time this happens there’s one less med on the list of things to try. That list is getting to be far shorter than I’d like. On the plus side she said my tumor burden overall has been reduced. Less cancer is always better.
So I have three options now and we are waiting to see what will work out. The waiting game is my least favorite game.
Option 1: clinical trial at the U if there’s a spot in the arm of the trial my dr would like for me to be in. Hopefully I will hear today or tomorrow if this is possible.
Option 2: Clinical trial at the Mayo Clinic. Not a bad way to go but a bit farther from home.
Option 3: standard next line of chemotherapy- Doxil. This can come with hand and foot symptoms and I really struggled with that in 2021. Not my favorite option, but I will do what I have to. 

Here’s hoping we can make some educated decisions soon. While being off treatment is nice for a short time, too long makes me
antsy.