Good morning all.
I apparently got busy and forgot about coming here for my annual updates…
My apologies.
My last update was in 2021. (You should be able to click on my name and see my post history).
So….
Yes! I’m still alive. February 10th was my 21st anniversary for my last surgery- 2/10/04
I had been following protocols and got my last set of scans in September/ October.
They came back clear / NED.
The oncologist told me it’s been so long since my last recurrence i can stop now.
He was unaware of the melanoma protocols and thought since so much time has passed, I should be fine.
I’m 65 now. My initial occurrence was over the summer of 1987. I was misdiagnosed in August 1990. I was Clarke-Breslow 4 at the time, but didn’t learn that until December 2000.
I had a correct diagnosis in June 1997. At which point I was stage 3, with six subsequent surgeries. July 1997, left inqguinal lymph nodes removed, along with the tumor.
June 1999. Small bowel resection, 2 lymph nodes necrotic, and removed, along with 20 cm of small bowel.
December 2000, interior iliac vein and last two remaining lymph nodes.
July 2002. Scar tissue in left inguinal region… original surgical site.
April 2003. Top 15% of Bladder and scraping of multiple nodules on large intestine, with one nodule incursion into large intestine wall.
February 2004. Same site as December 2000 surgery. Both iliac artery and vein fully involved.
Iliac artery exploded upon being touched by surgeon to remove tumor.
I returned to work in 2006, and have been working fairly steadily since.
I’m still following Jesus.
Definitely worth doing so.
Please don’t lose heart. Life is unpredictable and indeed unfair, but for Jesus followers, God really is an ever-present help in our times of trouble. He invites us to call on him in our day of trouble and he will deliver us, and we will glorify him.
I don’t know about you, but having lived with, instead of dying from my cancer, I have absolutely no problem whatsoever with glorifying God for his goodness and mercy towards me.
Till next time…
.
