I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...

I feel a little bit like the Little Engine. I just keep chugging along, not stopping, not going anywhere too quickly, a slow steady movement onward. I had another CT scan this past week and visited with my doctor. She is very encouraged. The scan showed no changes with my lungs. There are two main areas on my liver that they are watching. One of them seems to have gotten ever so slightly bigger but the other one seems to have gotten ever so slightly smaller so they are considering it stable and I get to continue with the study. The good news really comes from my tumor marker numbers. My CEA after my last scan when I almost didn't get to continue with the study was 14.2. Last Thursday it was 10. There is another tumor marker called CA19-9. My doctor was following that one until I got on this study and since the study doesn't call for that number my doctor stopped requesting it. After my CEA number saved me from getting removed from the study, she decided she wanted to continue following this second marker. Before I started on my current treatment, this number was 5520. Now, after three months of treatment it was down to 2810. My doctor feels confident that the treatment is providing me some benefit.

I have still been trying to live life to the fullest and do all I can to enjoy it. Over Labor Day weekend I went with friends on a camping trip to Stone Mountain and Pilot Mountain.

 Pilot Mountain

For those of you who may be fans of the Andy Griffith Show, Pilot Mountain is where they got the name Mount Pilot and it is located near the town of Mount Airy or "Mayberry." 

 Stone Mountain

Hiking around the state park of Stone Mountain you will find yourself at this position, where you can see the face of the giant stone feature, and also on top where you can look out all over the mountains of the area. It is really quite beautiful. The little pathway you see in the middle leading toward the rock is where you would go if you wanted to scale the face of the rock. We just took the nice little walk that takes you around back and up to the top. I believe there were actually people scaling the face when I took this picture but they are so small you can't see them.

A pretty little waterfall on the way to the big waterfall that I didn't think was as pretty and far too crowded with people.

This past weekend I took a little get away with some girl friends to the Biltmore Estate. This is the largest house in America, built in 1895 by George Vanderbilt in Asheville, NC.

 We toured the house and also the grounds which have impressive gardens. I was a bit enamored with the lily pads. There were such a variety of styles and colors!