I just wanted to post a quick update that my scans were totally OK! The lymph node is still there, but it is smaller! My oncologist believes it isn't related to the melanoma at all, but possibly related to trauma from previous surgeries. I couldn't believe it when he told me. I had him repeat it numerous times before it even fully clicked. I went there ready to plan for surgery, so to hear that my oncologist believes I'm still healthy...AWESOME!
Our plan now is to rescan in 6 weeks per clinical trial protocol and continue on!
Thanking all of you for your thoughts, prayers and love during this scary time for my family and I. We greatly appreciate it.
Speaking of my family, I'm sneaking off to spend more time with them!
Thank you again for your prayers and good juju! I greatly appreciate it!
XOXO
Showing posts with label SCAN RESULTS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SCAN RESULTS. Show all posts
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Drama Girl
My doctor goes on vacation, I find a new melanoma, drama erupts! What does he expect? For me to behave while he's gone on a much needed vacation? Ha! Teasing, Dr. D., I could have done without that experience.
I wrote about how I received the phone call from Sloan Kettering stating that I was no longer able to participate in the ipi/placebo clinical trial since I had new evidence of disease. Yes, they were told by my dermatologist that it was an in-situ melanoma. Still, kicked out of the trial, the nurse said.
The Monday that my doctor returned from vacation the same nurse called and said that it was determined that because my new primary was an in-situ, I am not disqualified from the trial.
I was confused about what I wanted to do. I was relieved because I wanted to continue the trial for the reasons I mentioned the other day. I was worried that I needed to do more or that it wasn't worth my time.
Like always, my oncologist helped answer my questions.
When I was waiting in the room for my appointment, my oncologist stuck his head in the room & told me that my scans were clear. Because he knows his patients, he knows I can't relax until I hear the results. (Yes, he also knows he has me spoiled & that the moment he doesn't come in before my scheduled time, I am going to know something is wrong. We've set up a bad habit, but I love him for it.) Then I met with the head research nurse who I had only heard about from my friend Julie. I mentioned to the nurse that I had not met her before, and she said, no, but I know who you are! Apparently, I caused a bit of drama with the doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering last week. There was apparently a 4 day debate about whether I should be allowed to continue the clinical trial or not. I'm not sure who stood where or why, but it was ruled that because an in-situ melanoma is not invasive, I should continue as planned. The drug is designed to treat metastatic disease and has no control over new non-invasive melanomas which is why we must keep our scheduled appointments with our dermatologists! (Remember, early detection IS key!)
Because the research nurse has a lot of experience with folks on this trial she was able to answer a lot of my questions and provide me with information I had not heard before. For example, remember that weird facial swelling I had on a few occasions after my last infusion in December? Although rare, has seen that in other patients. The joint pain in my hands, normal side effect. The inflammation of my lymph nodes 2-3 weeks after every single infusion = totally expected.
See, these were all things that no one had really talked to me about. I don't call with problems, but I've called Sloan (and headed to my local oncologist in tears) after almost every infusion regarding the swelling. Finally, someone tells me to expect it!
When my oncologist came in for our appointment I jumped up to hug him and told him he's no longer allowed to take a vacation. He said he knows, that when he goes away, I cause trouble. We started chatting later and he said that while his much needed vacation lowered his blood pressure, he couldn't escape wifi so he checked his email. "Every time I checked my email I had 60 new emails & 20 of them were about Chelsea Price!" Oops.
I asked him point blank if he thinks we should continue what we are doing and he flat out said yes.
There was no debate.
Yes, continue what we are doing. In May 2013, it will be 2 years since I started the clinical trial & we have a year to go after that. None of us know if I am getting the drug or the placebo, but whatever we are doing is working for me at this time. I can't risk changing that.
I headed into the Chemo Suite 2 hours behind schedule only to have a nurse that my veins are not used to. Boy, after the lab folks having to use 3 veins for blood and the chemo nurses using 3, I was mildly annoyed.
I wrote about how I received the phone call from Sloan Kettering stating that I was no longer able to participate in the ipi/placebo clinical trial since I had new evidence of disease. Yes, they were told by my dermatologist that it was an in-situ melanoma. Still, kicked out of the trial, the nurse said.
The Monday that my doctor returned from vacation the same nurse called and said that it was determined that because my new primary was an in-situ, I am not disqualified from the trial.
I was confused about what I wanted to do. I was relieved because I wanted to continue the trial for the reasons I mentioned the other day. I was worried that I needed to do more or that it wasn't worth my time.
Like always, my oncologist helped answer my questions.
When I was waiting in the room for my appointment, my oncologist stuck his head in the room & told me that my scans were clear. Because he knows his patients, he knows I can't relax until I hear the results. (Yes, he also knows he has me spoiled & that the moment he doesn't come in before my scheduled time, I am going to know something is wrong. We've set up a bad habit, but I love him for it.) Then I met with the head research nurse who I had only heard about from my friend Julie. I mentioned to the nurse that I had not met her before, and she said, no, but I know who you are! Apparently, I caused a bit of drama with the doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering last week. There was apparently a 4 day debate about whether I should be allowed to continue the clinical trial or not. I'm not sure who stood where or why, but it was ruled that because an in-situ melanoma is not invasive, I should continue as planned. The drug is designed to treat metastatic disease and has no control over new non-invasive melanomas which is why we must keep our scheduled appointments with our dermatologists! (Remember, early detection IS key!)
Because the research nurse has a lot of experience with folks on this trial she was able to answer a lot of my questions and provide me with information I had not heard before. For example, remember that weird facial swelling I had on a few occasions after my last infusion in December? Although rare, has seen that in other patients. The joint pain in my hands, normal side effect. The inflammation of my lymph nodes 2-3 weeks after every single infusion = totally expected.
See, these were all things that no one had really talked to me about. I don't call with problems, but I've called Sloan (and headed to my local oncologist in tears) after almost every infusion regarding the swelling. Finally, someone tells me to expect it!
When my oncologist came in for our appointment I jumped up to hug him and told him he's no longer allowed to take a vacation. He said he knows, that when he goes away, I cause trouble. We started chatting later and he said that while his much needed vacation lowered his blood pressure, he couldn't escape wifi so he checked his email. "Every time I checked my email I had 60 new emails & 20 of them were about Chelsea Price!" Oops.
I asked him point blank if he thinks we should continue what we are doing and he flat out said yes.
There was no debate.
Yes, continue what we are doing. In May 2013, it will be 2 years since I started the clinical trial & we have a year to go after that. None of us know if I am getting the drug or the placebo, but whatever we are doing is working for me at this time. I can't risk changing that.
I headed into the Chemo Suite 2 hours behind schedule only to have a nurse that my veins are not used to. Boy, after the lab folks having to use 3 veins for blood and the chemo nurses using 3, I was mildly annoyed.
Sorry, doctors, that I caused a little confusion, but hey, that's why you earn the big bucks, right?! (Best story I heard: Julie asked her doctor how he does this--delivering the bad news--every day. He told her that he does it with hopes of delivering good news! *OK, I may have that a little wrong, we did split a bottle of wine, but that was the main point. He's there to give us our lives back.)
Speaking of Julie......... Not only did I get some QT in with my mom, I also got to visit with Julie and her mom! Remember Julie? (Please continue to pray for her.) We had dinner in Little Italy & laughed, laughed, and laughed! Seriously, the waiter kept laughing at us laughing! There were extra long hugs, maybe a few blinked away tears, but mostly there was laughter.
A good trip, answers to my questions, and meeting up with ladies I admire = one great week.
Have a lovely weekend, friends!
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Gone!
I went for the ultrasound of my left ovary yesterday and the cyst was completely gone! Gone!
Oh, happy day!
Oh, happy day!
Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. They got me through another adventure!
I have a lot I want to post about; however, I have no time to write! Our closing date got moved to this coming Thursday so I am rushing around the apartment trying to do last minute things. So much to do + a full time job! Oh, whatever...only 4 more nights of sleeping in this apartment with our annoying neighbors above us!
The Adventures of First Time Home Owners will begin SOON!
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!
Friday, October 12, 2012
Friday, July 6, 2012
CT Scan Results 7/6/2012
My oncologist: "Hi! Scans are fine! I saw you in the
hallway and was going to yell it out to you.
I have set a bad precedent.
If I came in and started talking,
you would think "oh shit."
Scans ARE fine!
No evidence of disease!
Oh, and I adore my oncologist.
Thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers. They worked, again!
I will post a full NYC trip recap when I get back to Virginia tomorrow night. For now, I'm going to go celebrate.
No evidence of disease. Those words never get old...
Monday, July 2, 2012
And I'm Off To See the Wizard!
During my weekly yoga session tonight, my instructor whispered a few words I needed to hear:
Everything is going to be OK.
I have to head to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center this week for my 3 month scans, follow-up with the Wizard, and visit to the chemo suite for treatment. Like always, the 3 months of freedom flew by. I can only hope that this trip is as peaceful as the last visit. I would like to have they type of appointment that my oncologist refers to as a "Healthy Baby Visit." It's quick, it's painless, and it brings good news to all.
Instead of making this trip fully medical, we are adding an extra day to our trip so that we can fully enjoy 4th of July in the big city. I've never been in NYC for the fireworks so it should be a great adventure. Mr. Spots is actually joining me on this trip which I am really looking forward to. I think I relax a bit more with him next to me.
If you have a free moment and wish to send some warm thoughts my way, I definitely would appreciate it. I know what the statistics say, and I know the likelihood that something ugly will pop up, but I am going to ignore those statistics. I am going to hope, wish, and pray, and then I'm going to try to put it in the back of my mind for the first portion of this trip. I need to have some fun with my loved ones before this appointment. I will, until Thursday, treat this as a vacation then it's time to be a patient for a few days.
Like my yoga instructor said, and like Mr. Bob Marley--fellow melanoma warrior--sings, "Everything is gonna be all right."
Friday, April 13, 2012
Red Velvet Cupcake
Celebrating
CLEAN SCANS
with a red velvet cupcake
in the chemo suite!
Your thoughts & prayers worked yet again. THANK YOU.
More to come later...I am exhausted!
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
It's Time!
The time has come again for my 3 month scans and treatment session in NYC. This time I am READY to see The Wizard. I want him to look at the rash covering my arms, legs, and belly, and tush. Rash update:
I called my dermatologist at Sloan yesterday and tried to schedule an appointment with him. I was told his first available appointment is in August. Obviously, that will not work for me. I called The Wizard and asked to speak to my favorite nurse. She called me back about 30 minutes later and asked that I email her updated rash pictures. I sent them to her last evening and another nurse called back today saying they would definitely get me in with someone on Friday. Yes! It is needed!
Here is my schedule for the next few days:
*I fly out of Roanoke tomorrow morning. I will meet Mom & head into the city.
*Thursday I have a special meeting with my friends at The Skin Cancer Foundation. (More to come on that later!)
*Thursday at 3 pm I have my scans. Woo! Scan juice! (Gag.)
*Thursday night I have a dinner with 2 special ladies--We are members of a group called Cancer Chicks. I am looking forward to meeting up with them in person!
*Friday morning I meet with The Wizard at 9 am for a check-up and scan results. *Prayers please.*
*Depending on results, I will head to the Chemo suite for my next treatment session.
I have a fellow Molemate who is also receiving scan results this week. Please pray that Nick hears that his drug is shrinking his tumors. He's a great guy. Check out his blog: http://melanomafighter.blogspot.com/
If you could send some prayers our way, I know we both would greatly appreciate it.
Friday, January 20, 2012
"Perfect."
"Everything is perfect.
See, I got right to it this time. I didn't make you wait."
~The Wizard, AKA, my oncologist.
He obviously remembered I do not like to make small talk when it comes to appointments where I receive scan results!
Here I am, celebrating with a cupcake,
while waiting for my turn in the Chemo Suite.
Yum.
I am really exhausted and fighting an upset tummy, but I wanted to post a quick update that both of my scans came back as PERFECT.
Thank God and all of you. I know I could not do this without your love and support.
ANOTHER 3 MONTHS OF FREEDOM! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
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