glam's Journey:

CEA 1.5

this is a tough decision but considering I am a stage IV and statistics say that there is a chance of 75 to 80% of recurrence in the first two years of remission, 15% is the next 03 years and 5% in the following ones I have decided together with my doctors team that best strategy for me at this moment is to go back to chemo and work on prevention of recurrence as much as we can

Started a "maintenance" protocol with vectibix by itself once every 21 days

Another day I see a person who I was talking to looking strange to my head...I thought immediately there was something wrong with my wig, showing my head, etc....but when I arrived home and looked at the mirror there were lots of spots of my own hair (very short with only 03 cms and much darker them my wig) showing out of it in different spaces of my hair.....it was like I was hidden some rats below my wig.....jajajaja.....Despite the shame I am indead celebrating!!!!! YUHUUUUU!!!!! my hair is definitely back

CEA 1.2.............still going down.......so happy!!!!

What a fear!!!!!!! There we go....back to "normal" life

My first birthday after treatment......So happy I am still here while so many people had told me I would not!!!!!! My family came from Brazil to stay here in Chile with me......it was a great time together

CEA 1.0

Since I am NED since November 2012, and hope to continue being that way, I was in Brazil for the Holidays and went for second (and third) opinions there.....The key point right now for me if to define the most effective check-up/control plan to extremely vigilant in case of cancer try to come back at the same time of maintaining level of radiation the lower possible, considering I am "cured" I need to balance radiation so I can have a long and healthy life in front of me....Seems to be simple but isn't....each doctor has a different opinion on if a PET-CT has or has nor more radiation than the computerized tomography itself.....and also some recommend other exams with or without contrast, etc etc....My milestone is to research and get a conclusion before next March when I have to take this exams again.....for now I keep with the blood tests every 03 weeks.....any inputs on level of radiation will be highly appreciated....God continue blessing all of us

the sampler of my tumor was submitted to Foundation One to be tested.....Very anxious to learn results and so have more control on drugs and treatments that I can be eligible for.....results are estimated to be done first week of February

CEA results on January, 20th was slightly above previous one.....doctors will wait till next exam to see the tendency as a single result can not be considered by itself.....Praying to my Dear God, dear Virgin and Dear Santa Teresa de los Andes that it gets down again....

My Foundation One test result was released at the beginning of this year (Feb, 2014) showing no mutation in BRAF and KRAS but with another 06 different mutations which are FBXW7 G219fs*37, R367*, ERBB2 simplification, TP53 R248W, APC E1309fs*5 AND G977fs*6....no idea what that means for my day-by-day but as per my doctor advice it should only be considered if (and I hope not) my cancer recur to guide medication and treatment....for now just to archive it.....

I was anxious to finally have a face-to-face appointment with my Argentinian oncologist who was helping me throughout my journey remotely....It was a great pleasure to be with him....he was very detailed and specific and reinforced the importance of reduced radiation through my follow-up exams considering my clinical history....remission since Oct, 2012, no cancer in my family, elimination of all cancer and metastasis in less than 10 days, level of metastasis etc....he made a low radiation level plan for me to be followed for now every three months and after second year after six months....level of radiation should only be improved in case of something wrong appears

I have started physiotherapy last week to manage my incontinency and strength both muscled, urinary and anal ones......Hope it works and I can avoid another surgery.....Doctors said he believes in 80% of chance I can avoid or at least postpone some years to have surgery......It includes, electrical stimulation, exercises controlled by myself and exercises as a result of some stimulus..... Hope that works......God continue blessing all of us

Physiotherapy was concluded and was very successful so I could dramatically reduce the incontinency and I am not at risk of another surgery anymore (at least for now).....God, thanks for never abandon me....and continue blessing all of us

Although my hair was already back it was so horrible...three different textures and with no shine at all....last month that I went to Brazil I went to my hairdresser, the one who has taken care of my hair every since I was 17 (imagine more than 30 years).....she fixed my hair and now he is shinny and smooth again...of course very short but I am so so happy.....she also fixed my wig, and appliqué....Great, now I have three different looks....my own hair, my own hair with applique and the wig.....God continue blessing all of us

Last exam had shown some cysts in liver and kidney that I was not aware of.....procedure was to get the exams done last December in Brazil and compare with those done in April in Chile to be sure cysts were already there and did not change size and format so nothing to worry about because they were just cysts....went to Brazil finally last month and got the famous exam results, brought to my doctors in Chile that by comparing both images confirmed those were only water cysts and that there were nothing to worry at all....so happy......next follow-up exams will be at the end on July....God continue blessing all of us

some exams to evaluate if I had Lynch Syndrome, microsatellite instability and/or immunehistoquimic of repair proteins all showed good results and that my cancer was neither inherited nor is likely to be transmitted to my children if I had one.....Additionally if I had Lynch Syndrome, my doctors mentioned that I would be more likely to have other type of cancers such as in ovaries and utero.....I am so glad I don't have any of this.....Great news!!!! God continue blessing all of us

pelvic, stomach and bone MRI showed clear result....Now colonoscopy also showed clean result.....no cancer signs at all!!!!

Celebrating two years of cancer free!!!! so happy!!! Two years ago most people thought I would not make it!!!! Guess what? Here I am!!!!! Thanks God and Santa Teresa for never ever abandon me!!!! God continue blessing all of us