› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Update and a New Plan
- This topic has 24 replies, 13 voices, and was last updated 4 years, 3 months ago by lkb.
- Post
-
- January 30, 2020 at 3:09 pm
Good Morning, friends!I just want to give you a quick update with where I’m at.
On the Larry the Lung Cancer front: I am stable! Nothing’s growing! Everything’s shrinking — even the mystery Hilar Meat (So he’s now not much of a mystery and we’re calling him Larry). I didn’t have a PET scan this time, only a CT, but next PET, probably in March. We’re predicting (fingers and toes crossed) show that everything is dead. The targeted therapy has worked. Yea!
On the Mel the Melanoma front: I had an MRI on my arm on Wed. Yes, that was 3.5 hours in a torpedo tube with crazy monkeys banging on the side. But it shows that I only have 3 blobs of mela-meat in my arm. This is very good news as we thought there might be more. Because there’s only 3 of them, I’ll have surgery next Tues to remove them. If there had been more, I’m not sure what we would have done. All I know is that waiting and seeing what they’ll do is no good. Better to be done with them and to whack them again when they come back.
So this is the plan! Start the happy dancing!
Shalom,
Julie
- Replies
-
-
- January 30, 2020 at 3:27 pm
Oh, Julie! Bless your heart! But, YAY!!!! Excellent way to put lung cancer on the run!!! I am ready for the March funeral – Nawlins style! Sorry for the melanoma spots, but glad they are localized and can still be removed! Git’em outta here!!! I hope the surgery and recuperation are not too difficult. You are just the most resilient, joyful and amazing human ever! Thanks for the update. When is Lil Chubbs taking her next trip? Much love, c-
- January 31, 2020 at 5:02 am
Oh yes, Larry, the lung cancer needs a second line parade! I love the idea!I am contemplating taking Lil’ Chubbs out to Death Valley NP (a 6-hour drive from here) over President’s weekend in Feb. But I’m really really tired and I’m having a hard time wrapping my mind (and body) around organizing life to do this. After Feb, the next Chubbs trip in April to Big Sur with a group of friends from my church. This should be great fun, and of course beautiful!!!
Blessings,
Julie -
- February 1, 2020 at 12:11 am
I can only imagine how you are feeling, Julie. Just 3 months of platinum based chemo kicked my A$$ more than 2 1/2 years of nivo – so I bow down to the queen! Hopefully you will be up to a trip – but I know you will do what is best for you! Hope you have a good weekend. I will be holding you in my heart on Tuesday and look forward to more pics of Lil Chubb’s adventures whenever they occur! love, c
-
- January 30, 2020 at 6:09 pm
Hey Julie, was in the tube for 2.5 hours at Tower St. Johns Wed. 8am. Saw Rock Star after at noon. Maybe we passed not knowing? Happy dancing with you on the stable and operable mel meat. Essner wacked on me several times and did a wonderful job!Best, Paul
-
- January 31, 2020 at 4:52 am
NO WAY PAUL!!!! We just missed each other. I had the 3.5-hour session at St John in their funky, way out back, hidden under lock and key MRI on Monday. But I saw Drs O and E on Wed morning around 11. It’s highly likely we passed each other.Yes, Essner’s awesome. He did the SNB and WLE with a skin graft for my primary. It’s healed so well people don’t even notice it unless I point it out (which I don’t because that’s weird).
Trust all is going well with you!
Blessings,
Julie -
- January 31, 2020 at 5:01 pm
One and the same! He’s amazing!I too almost fainted when I saw the skin graft with the bolster stitched to my hand.
Julie -
- January 31, 2020 at 5:01 pm
One and the same! He’s amazing!I too almost fainted when I saw the skin graft with the bolster stitched to my hand.
Julie -
- January 31, 2020 at 9:22 pm
Dang! I remember signing in at O’Day’s around 1120 am. If you were still waiting I probably glanced at you not knowing. Lol! Preliminary looks at scans are clear! Should hear from Christine later this afternoon with final results. Hoping you can rally up and make Death Valley trip. Best, Paul -
- February 1, 2020 at 6:45 pm
So glad for all clear scans! This is what want to hear!Ok next time, we coordinate, Paul. We’ve missed each other way too often.
Blessings
Julie
-
- January 31, 2020 at 1:22 am
This is great news, Julie. Hope all continues in this positive direction for you. May I ask which drugs you had for targeted therapy? My husband is stage 4 and has had 10 Opdivo treatments. He has mets in liver (very small) and in lung as well as 2 recurrences on his back (original site). It appears that many of these are stabilizing and we hope will start to shrink. However, 2 in his left lung are still growing. They are going to schedule a biopsy to ensure they are melanoma and not lung cancer. If they are melanoma and we don’t get the response we are hoping for with Opdivo, his doctor will move him to targeted – he is BRAF positive. He has tolerated Opdivo pretty well. Have read mixed reviews on targeted therapy side effects. Thanks and very happy about your good news.Sandy D.
-
- January 31, 2020 at 4:46 am
Hi Sandy,
The targeted therapy I’m on is for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer that is positive for an EGFR Mutation (exon 19). To my knowledge, it’s only used in NSCLC.Scheduling a biopsy to make sure the lung critters are mel is a good idea. Yes, it’s not common to have both primary lung cancer and melanoma at the same time, but we know it can and does happen. .And since your husband’s lung mets are still growing a biopsy sounds wise just to be sure.
I was on Keytruda (same as Opdivo) and it took a long time for it to kick into a point where we could see it working. Maybe this is the same as your husband? Hope so.
Blessings,
Julie
-
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.