Melanoma and Pericarditis

Hello Everyone,

This week turned out to be a scarey one.  I'm glad its on the up swing right now. 

I saw my Doctor Monday after hearing about how my cousin died who  had melanoma in 2005, she also had pericarditis.  I don't know why this isn't something that is brought up to the melanoma community.  I've read a few articles about it on the net but not much more.

Anyway, the doctor checked the lymph node he found in my neck that is a little large.  He wanted me to get a pet scan, but I had just come off of having strep throat so I wasnt exactly wanting to go through a pet scan.

The only arm they can use on me for blood and IV's is just about gone.  The last time I was in the Hosptial in July for the pericarditis they couldn't find a vein in my arm, did an ultra sound of my arm and found there only small veins attached to nerves.  So they used my hand.  My other arm has had surgery and lymphnodes were taken out.  So going for tests is a very cumbersome thing to do and painful. 

I told him how my cousin had died, 30 years out, all of a sudden mets in her lungs and pericarditis in her heart.  She was overweight, like I am.  Maybe edema.  Who knows.  So we discussed it, he checked the node and it is bigger but only slightley.  I'm to go back to him in November for another check up if its bigger I'll get the scan

So Wednesday I did what most people do to keep where they live clean and I was going up and down the stairs and I just did not feel good.  On Thursday, My chest was in a tremendous amount of pain and I took the med they gave me colchocine and called the doctor to ask how long I should wait for it to work.  He said about an hour.  About an hour got worse, so he called in a prescription for prednisone lots of it.  I took that and about 11 oclock at night I started feeling better. 

A little throw back here.  When I when on high dose interferon and then went off I became allergic to just about every NSAID there is.  And Colchine is a type of NSAID.  All the other ones aspirin, ibprophen, I have a terrible allergy, which I did not have before Interferon. 

So I took the cochicine on Thursday along with my prednisone and I started feeling very flush, I went into the bathroom and my Face was burning red and my chest was tight and was also very red.  I was having a reaction, probably to the colchine.  I called th doctor but he was out, I did not want to go to the hospital, so I started taking benedryl, first two then in an hour another one and I started to feel better and my morning the swelling of my face and chest was gone.  Now I cannot take the only drug available to combat the pain and inflamation of the sac around my heart.  Great!  I'm 29 years out.  I'm wondering if its getting to be my time. 

Well the good new is for all  you people out there with this disease is that there are people out here who have lived with it for  years.  I think Charlie on the board is another long lasting patient of this disease.

All in All have confidence and think positive.  I just always considered myself as a warrior not giving up. Since 1984.  That and my faith always helped me along. 

Thank you for reading.  Best Wishes.