My Decision

Saw a Melanoma Doctor up at Cleveland Hospitals this afternoon. He agrees that I should do the recommended treatment. So, I am. I am going to have more surgery. I will be having the lymph node disection. I should hopefully find out next week when. Mom and I are going to go a certain pharmacy tomorrow, so I can be measured for a pressurized stocking. I will have to wear this stocking for the rest of my life. I will have problems with swelling for the rest of my life.

I also want to have a port implanted into me as well. I am going to call Dr. Patel's office tomorrow, to ask about a general surgeon to see about him putting into me. I would prefer it to be done the same time, the lymph node disection is going on, so that I won't have to heal from two separate surgeries.

Once the lymph nodes are taken out, then they will be tested for cancer. If they come back positive, then I would be at Stage 3b, instead of Stage 3a. I might even have to do radiation or something like that before doing immunotherapy.

Another thing found either on the scans or from pathology were granulomas. That has something to do with Sarcoid. I will have to see a pulmonary doctor next year about that. If I have Sarcoid, that would explain the cough I have had since I was a kid. The immunotherapy can cause havic on the sarcoid, and if that would become worse, then the immunotherapy would be stopped.

As of right now, I have a 30% chance of a new case of melanoma within the next three years. If there is cancer in my other lymph nodes, then that percentage goes up.

I was told that there was at least two pockets of microscopic cancer in the lymph node that was taken out in June. My melanoma was ulcerated, because it was bleeding off and on since January of this year. Dr. Burns removed 3.25 mm of the melanoma tumor in May. Another 1.2 mm was removed back in June.

I am also going to have to start seeing a dermatologist, and will be seeing this person for the rest of my life.

How do I feel about this? I can't really say. I have been feeling a little detached from this all. I'm glad the decision has been made. I appreciate how this doctor really explained things to us. I am praying that God will use all that I am going through to feed somebody else.

Seeing the Cancer Doctor

M&D and I saw the cancer doctor this morning. It means a lot to me in having both of them there. I am going to have a CAT Scan tomorrow, to see if the cancer has spread. Hopefully it will look good and no need to have a PET Scan. I have to drink this goop tonight and tomorrow morning. I am praying that I will be able to keep it down and not throw it back up. I have to have blood work done as well. This will determine exactly what treatment I will have.

The doctor's plan is to do the immunotherapy or a clinical trial of something. Looking at no chemo. I am happy about that. No loosing my hair. I know it is vain, but I like my long hair. I was told the immunotheraphy will rev up my immune system. The side effects will be fever, chills, and flu-like syptoms. I will still be able to Sub this fall when I feel up to it. The immunotherapy lasts a year. I will be IV's M-F for so many weeks, then injections three times a week.

With the info the doctor has, he says I am at Stage 3A, because a lymph node was removed. There are 5 stages in melanoma, from stage 0-4.

I am disappointed. I wanted to teach full-time this fall. I still don't understand. God has great plans out there for me. I want him to be glorified throughout all of this. Here is a thought, I haven't shared with anybody before, I'm still single, will I stay single, because of having cancer? Because of having cancer, will I be a liablity in getting a full-time teaching position next year? Why God? Why now? How does this fit into your plan? Are you trying to teach me something?

Next week, I will go to PT (physical therapy) and see both doctors.