Always Something

If you recall, my cancer was first diagnosed when I was 60 some 13 years ago and there is a good probability that because of all the various chemo regimes through which I went, one of them caused me to contract a second cancer of Melanoma that traveled from the bottom of my left foot to my left groin area in just under 5 years.  And, it is because of this migration that I was given radiation along with an immunotherapy of Opdivo which seems to have substantially reduced it and actually killed a bunch of it.

It is difficult to ascertain whether the dead cells are Lymphoma or Melanoma because they are a combination of both and the only way to be sure is to perform a biopsy which if they are dead seems rather irrelevant.  However, whenever I lay down on my back and feel around the left side of my groin, I can feel the lumps of dead tissue there that will never disappear and be constant reminders of what I have endured with my cancers.

Every day I take two pills for my Lymphoma and every day I take medication for my Thyroid because it was damaged by my cancer treatments.  Every month I have an infusion to control my Melanoma and every other month, I have an infusion of IVIG to help boost my low immunity and improve my anemia.  Every 3 months, I have alternative CT and PET scans to see if my cancers are still under control and every 3 months I have a full naked body exam by a dermatologist to see if my continued cancer treatments are creating any new skin cancers which is often the case as I have had half a dozen removed since this process was started.  AND...  every three years now because of my cancer treatments, I have a colonoscopy because my treatments could trigger cancer there.

Next month, I have a special CT scan to see if the tumor in my lungs has grown large enough so that a biopsy can be performed.

When one is living with cancer...  there is always something.