PET Scan Results

Good News! Good News! Good News! Good News! Good News! Father, thank you for the good news. According James 1:5, I am asking for wisdom in what to do next.

Can you tell how happy I am? The PET Scan came back negative. The Melanoma hasn't spread! God is good. Even if the melanoma had spread, God would still be good.

I have lost some weight this past week. I went a whole week without any Pepsi. That is right, I didn't drink any pop. I will have some today. Last week, the scale at Dr. Patel's office said 297 lbs, this week it said 272 lbs. I came home and used my parent's scale and that one said 295.8 lbs. My parents is a digital one. We all know what the doctor's office is one like. Which one do I believe? My mom said she has noticed how my stomach hasn't gotten flatter, that is due to doing situps in the morning. I have digressed.

What is the recommended treatment for someone at stage 3a of melanoma? It is first lymph node disection. That is having more lymph nodes taken out. The side effects to that is not pretty. Lymphodema, swelling, wounds not healing very fast. Wearing a pressurized stocking to help with the swelling. I really don't want to have the surgery. The next step is immunotherapy. This treatment lasts one year. The first month is IV M-F for four weeks, then the next 12 months, an injection three times a week, done at home. The first month, would be either at the hospital or the doctor's office. There are side effects, flu-like symptoms, fever, feeling achy all over, depression or that gets worse. Those are the major side effects. Everybody is effect differently.

I will do some type of treatment. With being 36, it is better to fight it, because if it comes back and spreads, then it is it incurable. There is a chance of recurrences in the first 1-2 years. Dr. Patel did tell me to do some research on clinical trials and see if I qualify. He gave me a website and told me which three areas to call and see what they have. I have to let him know what I am going to do.

If I decide to do the immunotherapy, and because of my veins being very deep and hard to get to, a port would be surgically implanted for the IV part of the treatment. I have asked if that could be done at the same time as the lymph node disection, so I would only have to have one surgery, instead of two. The hole on my right leg has to continue to heal, basically completely close up before the treatment can be started. Treatment probably will not start until sometime in September.

I pray that the Lord will show me what to do. What is best for me. I am praying for wisdom.