While, initially, this news was distressing, it didn’t come as a complete shock. All summer, we’ve been wondering what caused the sizable blood mass in and around my adrenal gland (see Doctor Doctor…). Now we know. Melanoma some how made its way to another part of my body.
Frankly, since early June, I’ve expected this outcome. It’s the reality of living with cancer.
With this sad news comes several positive developments. First, the PET scan (see The Waiting…) was negative for any additional cancer spread. That’s important because we want to keep the cancer contained as much as possible. In other words, right now, only two places inside my body have malignancy – my lungs and my right adrenal gland.
Second, the metastases around my adrenal gland, according to biomarker testing, contain the same genetic mutation (cKit) as the tumors in my lungs. That’s also important because we’re only dealing with one type of cancer (again, see The Waiting…).
Which leads to another (hopefully) positive development…we will continue my current treatment regimen – daily oral chemotherapy medicine (Gleevec) – with a new component: radiation therapy to tackle the adrenal gland.
This post will be short and sweet. Many things are coming together even as I write this. I’ll provide more details in a follow-up post (Another Twist, Another Turn).
This is yet another twist and another turn in my melanoma journey. I’m confident the journey will continue for many years to come.
I want to thank all of you who have made this journey with me. Your thoughts, your prayers, and your concerns are greatly appreciated. I’m absolutely humbled by it. Please focus your thoughts and prayers on Vicki, Emily, and Zach as they have been my guiding light in this crazy storm. In addition, prayers would be appreciated for my dad, my sister, my sister-in-law, and my entire extended family.
Thank you.
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| A thoughtful gift from Vicki’s true friends. |
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September 5, 2020 – Much of our August was spent at the West Cancer Center: blood tests, CT scans, an ultrasound, another CT scan, and, finally, a wonderful needle biopsy. Throw in a couple visits with my oncologist, further lab tests, along with a PET scan, and August was a month I’d like to do without.
Why all the visits? You may recall from my last health update on July 6th (Doctor, Doctor…) that – since early June – my doctors were monitoring a blood mass in and around my right adrenal gland.
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| September 3rd sunset: a reminder to enjoy the beautiful things life has to offer. |
Here’s an excerpt:
Now For Something Completely Different
There was, however, something completely unexpected on the scan results. A fairly large mass – about 2 1/2 inches – on or around my right adrenal gland. The adrenal gland sits on top of each kidney. The radiology oncologist called it a heterogeneous mainly low density mass. Basically, it looks like I had some internal bleeding either in or around my adrenal gland.
On August 7th I had an ultrasound to determine if there was any tissue with the blood mass surrounding my adrenal gland. The ultrasound did show tiny tissue fragments, so I immediately underwent a needle biopsy utilizing CT scan technology.
A needle biopsy is exactly what it sounds like. An area of skin is deadened and a (somewhat) long needle inserted into your body at the spot to be biopsied. Unfortunately, you remain awake during the entire procedure. It’s painful and weird – the only way to describe it.
Note: The biopsied tissue samples were sent off for detailed genetic evaluation (biomarkers).
A little over a week later, on August 18, 2020, I had a PET scan. Doctors use a PET scan to determine if any cancer – metastatic melanoma, in my case – has spread to other parts of your body, including your lymph nodes.
PET scans utilize a radioactive tracer that is injected into your bloodstream. To be effective, your body must be completely at rest for an hour or more.
Here’s a brief description of what a PET scan is like:
Plus, I had just spent the past hour sitting in a small dark room doing nothing. Nothing. Just sitting, trying to relax, while radioactive isotopes coursed through my body…I think I slept for 15 or 20 minutes while in that little room.
After being strapped down to the hard plastic “bed” of the scanner, I was inserted into the metal and plastic donut hole several times. Many people refer to CT and PET scanners as donut fillers. Another 25 minutes went by before we finished.
The waiting game began a few weeks ago and will be over soon. At that point, we’ll know the biomarker testing results and the results of my PET scan. Then we’ll know the next direction in my journey.
Thanks, as always, for listening.
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Writer’s Note – I’ll continue to update my blog on a periodic basis. No set schedule. So, I want to thank everyone who continues to stop by and check out my blog. Please leave a comment or message; I’d love to hear from you.
August 28, 2020 – Earlier today, Facebook alerted me to a memory from 2017. I’d almost forgotten about the post until today’s notice. What I haven’t forgotten, unfortunately, was the crappy comment that came from a former high school classmate.
Note: Yes, on Facebook yesterday, I mentioned the fluke that this 2017 memory popped up right after Hurricane Laura came ashore in Louisiana.
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| After Hurricane Harvey hit Houston, Texas. |
extended family, I posted our thoughts on my Facebook feed.
I received the typical Facebook feedback (see below) – Likes, Loves, and a couple of shares.
One person, however, had to rain on my goodwill. I realize it’s a minor thing – especially with everything going on right now in our world – yet, three years later, the comment angers me.
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| Never did hear back. |
One of the definitions of “thinking” is that of thoughtful reflection. In fact, another definition states that “thinking” (as a verb) is to employ one’s mind rationally and objectively in evaluating or dealing with a given situation. So, I’ll continue “thinking” about those of you in Texas and Florida who are dealing with the aftermath of hurricanes and floods.
I will also continue to hope that everyone’s situation improves and that they do not face long-term problems. I will use my words on MY Facebook feed. You are free to use your words on yours.
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August 24, 2020 – We lost my Aunt Barbara earlier this month. She died August 4th around one in the morning. According to my family, her cause of death was kidney (renal) failure. Aunt Barbara was in the hospital at the time due to COVID-like symptoms and a possible positive COVID test.
Compounding the sadness over her loss was that she died alone – like so many people right now. That’s heartbreaking, and I feel for all the families whose loved ones have died alone. It’s just not right.
Here’s the link to her current obituary (Barbara Billett Jeffrey). I say current because, right now, everything is subject to change. In addition, I’ll likely update this post in the near future.
Jim Jeffrey, Barbara’s husband, died in December 2013. What I wrote about Uncle Jim back then included my memories of Aunt Barbara. She always took a special interest in her nieces and nephews and doted on our children as well. Here’s an excerpt from what I wrote in 2013:
On Friday, December 20th, my family held a funeral service for my uncle, Jim Jeffrey. Uncle Jim died last Sunday of complications brought on by a host of ailments, primarily the after-effects of chemotherapy and the further onset of Alzheimer’s. Uncle Jim was a unique individual, and the obituary from the funeral home doesn’t due justice to a man who fully embraced the ideal of “following your heart.”
Uncle Jim was married to my dad’s older sister, Barbara. Both were talented musicians who lived for many years in the heart of New York City. Jim fluently spoke several foreign languages, was an accomplished gourmet chef, and a handy-man who could fix or rebuild just about anything – electrical appliances, car engines, refurbed houses. On top of that, he was an opera singer!
There is a lot about my Uncle Jim that I will never know, or certainly won’t remember, but one clear memory of Jim was his singing of Ave Maria at our wedding. Beautiful does not even come close to describing Jim’s performance. Singing at the weddings of nieces and nephews, accompanied, of course, by Aunt Barbara on the organ, became a family tradition that Jim seemed to relish.
We miss Aunt Barbara.
Thanks for listening.
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| Wedding Photo: Jim & Barbara. My dad on the far left. |
July 6, 2020 – I finished the last of my scheduled doctor’s appointment this afternoon – annual physical. Everything was fine according to my internist. I’ve been with this same doctor for perhaps 25 years. He knows as much about my health as I do. After last year’s physical he joked, “You’re the healthiest guy with cancer, who had a heart attack, I’ve ever seen.”
Based on the numbers from this year’s blood tests and urinalysis, I hope that comment remains true.
Appointments, Appointments, Appointments
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| At least it’s clean. |
Because of COVID-19, I waited until June to follow-up with most of my doctors. In the past thirty days, I saw just about everyone: cardiologist, urologist, orthopedist, dermatologist, oncologist (we’ll get to that in a moment), and even the dentist (no cavities!). All of these visits we’re either annual checkups, routine appointments, or quickly scheduled due to an issue that came up. I saw my orthopedist after I over did it with exercise, yard work, and pressure washing the back patio.
Note: The patio’s now clean, but I was in some serious back and muscle pain for about a week.
Metastatic Melanoma
In early June I had my scheduled CT scan and doctor’s appointment at the West Cancer Center. As I mentioned previously (see Status Quo and An Early Christmas Gift), I am now scanned about every six (6) months because my tumors remain stable and (for the most part) unchanged. June’s CT results were pretty much the same. Nothing – in my lungs – has changed.
Now For Something Completely Different
There was, however, something completely unexpected on the scan results. A fairly large mass – about 2 1/2 inches – on or around my right adrenal gland. The adrenal gland sits on top of each kidney. The radiology oncologist called it a heterogeneous mainly low density mass. Basically, it looks like I had some internal bleeding either in or around my adrenal gland.
Between chemotherapy meds, blood thinners (to help keep the stent in my heart working), and everything else I’ve been through, it’s hard to know what caused this mass.
Modern-day Torture Device
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| You never know what’s lurking inside. |
My oncologist scheduled an MRI to get a better look. If you’ve never had an MRI, it’s very strange and a bit nerve-racking. The MRI machine is claustrophobic and loud. And weird…I swear I could feel the magnetic force going through my midsection. Yuck!
Unfortunately, the MRI didn’t provide any new clues as to what’s going on inside me. The concern is that this blood mass may be hiding a cancerous tumor (or, the mass was caused by a cancerous tumor). The size has not changed, and I’m not in any pain.
At the end of July, I’ll have another CT scan to see if anything’s changed. Then, the doctors and I will figure out what the next steps will be.
Possibly another twist in my melanoma journey. More to come…
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May 22, 2020 – To say that my birthday (May 20th) helped restore my faith in humanity would be a bit hyperbolic. I would say, however, that the outpouring of well wishes and Happy Birthdays from friends, colleagues, and family meant so much to me. Obviously, I enjoyed the attention, and it left me with some great memories along with a warm feeling deep inside my restless soul.
I posted my thanks on Facebook, but I wanted to mention my thanks here on my blog.
Once again, thanks to everyone for making my birthday special.
I’ll leave you with some of the lyrics to the Beatles Birthday song, which is one of my favorite Beatles’ songs…
May 31, 2020 – It’s been a little more than ten days since my birthday, obviously. I’ve been a bit unmotivated to write and/or complete any blog posts (hence the lag in posting dates). I finished the last two posts for my Corona Blues series (Parts 3 and 4), and, as you can see above, my birthday thank you post. In that ten days, however, our world has become even more surreal, so its understandable that my motivation has been lacking. All I will say is this – as a society we need to come together and figure some things out. I’ve said something similar before, but it really rings true for these past five or six days. We have some terrible problems that are going to continue tearing this country apart.
That’s all, for now…just a small vent.
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