Nevermind... for now.

My medical case manager called yesterday. The oncologist said he didn't want anything like the first nivolumab (Opdivo) treatment to "taint" the liver biopsy results. So, today's first infusion was canceled. It's now scheduled for April 3rd. I sent a message to my doctor asking if he wanted the kidney biopsy done before that first infusion treatment also. If so, they'd better get it scheduled soon!

In the mean time, we wait.

Scars and next...

The dermatologist cut out the basal cell carcinoma on my shoulder and stitched it shut.

A week later one of the stitches broke. I worried about it for nearly a week putting bandages over it to keep it from snagging and unraveling even more. I called but was told to keep the original appointment the following week. I didn't have any problems with the incision opening up. I guess I heal fast. 

We were busy two weeks ago:

Monday               MRI Scan

Tuesday               PET Scan

Wednesday          Initial meeting with the Oncology Doctor re where we go from here: Opdivo (aka nivolumab) treatments every 2 weeks for a year.

Thursday             Met with the Oncology Case Manager about details – first infusion scheduled for 20^th

Friday                  Call from the Oncologist - the PET scan showed some suspicious spots: 2 on my liver and 1 on my left kidney. Hyper-metabolic activity he called it…

Only one appointment last week. We met with the financial aid officer last week to see if we could get some relief from the $5k+ per treatment drug cost. Yes, we can. That eases some of the worry. 

My surgeon called late Friday afternoon. He wanted to let me know he was referring me to a Urologist to look at the mass on my left kidney. We talked a bit about the biopsy’s, how they’re performed, a little bit of what to expect but he wouldn’t speculate regarding what exactly the spots were: melanoma related, another type of cancer, benign masses or smudges on the scan. He's also ordering an ultra-sound of the rest of my lymph nodes in my arm pit. Then they will get checked every four months for changes.

So, now I'm just waiting for the first infusion treatment Tuesday. There is a long list of side effects. I've been speculating as to what to expect and what I will experience. This is not the best topic to be dwelling on at this time...

We have to drive up to Portland for the liver biopsy on the 27th. They'll use ultrasound to exactly locate the areas in question. Once again I can't eat or drink anything before hand. I've been told to expect a several hour recovery time while my liver stops bleeding. Hopefully I will be done before the afternoon rush hour because it will be P's turn to battle traffic for the several hour drive home.

Looks like I still have a lot of doctors and appointments in my future.

Don't ever turn your back on a surgeon, this may be the result!

Life goes on

NOTE: I wrote this in mid-February meaning to get back and flush out the details. It's been a month now, and I am working on documenting my continuing adventures in the health system. I should have a new entry in several days. In the mean time, here is how it all got started.



It has been a year plus since I retired.
I think it is safe to say that I have gotten used to a more relaxed schedule for my days. The weekends are truly becoming days of rest for us. We now tend to avoid shopping on those days because of all the people who work during the week and the weekend IS their days off.

I changed health providers at the beginning of the year. I had been very lax the last several years when it came to going to the doctor. I have been blessed with a very healthy body, no real problems, not taking any prescriptions: if it wasn't a bloody stump it could be ignored. Well, first thing I got sent to a dermatologist for a rash on my shoulder that wouldn't go away. The doctor identified three spots including my shoulder to do a biopsy on. Two including my shoulder turned out to be basal cell carcinoma but the third was diagnosed as melanoma.

After the biopsy, marks by the surgeon as to where and how much he would cut out. It's about 4-5 inches top to bottom. That's my right shoulder blade next to it. 

Last Wednesday I had surgery to remove the melanoma. The doctor got his "pound of flesh." They used dye to trace body fluid movement from the melanoma site to a lymph node in my right arm pit. So, after excising the melanoma, he shaved my arm pit and cut out the sentinel lymph node (that's what they call whichever lymph node fluids go to first from the melanoma.)

I am recovering. Next week I get to go back to the dermatologist so she can cut out the basal cell carcinoma sites. This will only require a local anesthetic. Not nearly as traumatic. I should come out of it with some bandages and a clear head, not like trying to recover from the general anesthetic the gas passer used for the melanoma surgery. I'd met the surgeon earlier but I met the rest of the surgical team just before surgery. The anesthesiologist seemed to be in a very good mood, explaining how he was going to make me feel VERY good and put me to sleep. He questioned my susceptibility to nausea. It doesn't take much to make me seasick, so he added some anti-nausea drugs too. I did feel very good...until I woke up in post-op. I wasn't in any pain but was on the verge of vomiting until we drove the 45 minutes back home and I was able to crawl into bed. Having a memory foam mattress helped a lot in that it conformed to the new contours of my back without undue pressure. I could certainly feel the pain and tugging on the incision every time I tried to move, especially when I rolled over.