My CEA was 4.3 on Oct. 10th. Labcorp USA's high norm is 3.9 for a non smoker. It's been 4.3 and 4.4 three times prior when I was sick with a sinus infection or walking pneumonia. I was feeling bad when I went that day and almost cancelled. Two days later was on 2 weeks of antibiotics and a steroid shot for a bad sinus infection affecting all four cavities.
The slight elevation always terrifies me so the doctor had me come in today for a repeat CEA now that all the meds are finished. I won't get my results until late next week. My stomach is all torn up from anxiety!
I KNOW I should not expect anything 'bad' because it's been 9 years the end of Dec. since I was dx'd with Stage III (surgery first week of Jan. 2009) and it's been 5 years, 7 months since my liver resection and all scans have been good since then. This was my first time not to have scans. We moved to scans once a year unless my CEA were to suggest otherwise and then will go to only CEA's.
My husband was septic in June and September. He was in the hospital for over a week both times. One was from black mold exposure when he went to Oregon to visit a long lost relative. The second time was from a UTI! We were told only 30% of people who come to the ER that sick live. A follow up with the pulmonologist in the end of June included a CT of the lungs. No one contacted us, but when he went in for a recheck, they gave him a paper copy of the CT which showed he has a 4.1 cm aneurysm on the ascending aorta. We saw his cardiologist (for HBP only, no heart problems) and he says we will do scans in 2 weeks and then every 3 to 6 months to see if it is enlarging. It wasn't there 2 years ago when he had an echo. Jim is 70 and still teaches middle school math so we can have good insurance.
I'm just a wreck. I don't think chronic disease post traumatic stress ever gets better.
Diane