My Cancer Pilgrimage: Halloween

Saturday, October 31, 2020

Oddly Enough

Today... is my birthday... 73 years young or old? I guess it depends upon one's perspective. What it means to me is that I am not young physically even though I go to the gym 3-5 days a week... and that is also strange because I have a treadmill and stationary bike downstairs, just collecting dusk as they wait to be used by someone in this house.

Around my birthday 13 years ago, I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphocetic Lymphoma and about 8 years ago on or around my birthday, I was diagnosed with Melanoma and in 4 days from today I will have a biopsy to determine if I have prostate cancer or not. It seems that my birthday is not just full of Halloween surprises. I never have liked my birthday actually.

On the other side of the coin, each birthday now is a blessing because I have lived another year longer than I could have lived... and, there is nothing wrong with that. My health is pretty good considering what I have been through and I have always been told that if you have your health, you have everything.

Thank you for visiting...

For the last 12 years, I have been under the supervision of an Oncologist who is treating me for B cell Lymphoma. I have had over 150 infusions and numerous CT/PET scans as well as MRIs, biopsies (including bone marrow) and well as monthly blood tests to monitor my WBC, RBC, and Platelets.

My treatments have included: Rituxan, Fludara, Cytoxin, Triandra, Opdivo, Yervoy, Imbruvica, Surgery, and Radiation...

Six years into my treatments, I discover Melanoma on my foot that I subsequently discovered could have been encouraged by my Lymphoma treatments of Fludara and Cytoxin. The growth was removed but 4 years later, it metastasized to my groin and a year after that to my neck.

My treatment for melanoma in the groin was Opdivo, Yervoy, and Radiation without surgery because it was too complicated of an area.

My Melanoma metastasized to my neck but when the lymph node was surgically removed, it was dead Melanoma so the treatment worked.

My Lymphoma (CLL) is being treated the same way an Oncologist would treat Leukemia (SLL); in fact, many Oncologists believe that it is the same disease just different stages.

My cancer treatments were further complicated from a serious heart attack 12 years ago. It was a silent attack with minor pain but my LAD was blocked 100%, and two other arteries on the left side were both blocked 90%. The only reason that I did not die in the attack is that my body created its own bypass with dozens of tiny vessels to transport the blood.

My arteries were cleaned out and 5 stints were inserted over a period of 12 months and 3 surgeries.

My Cancer Pilgrimage

Pages

Saturday, October 31, 2020

Oddly Enough

BEGINNING TODAY

Report Abuse