The Dragon Returns
The Dragon Returns
In My Bloodstream: Lisinopril, Amlodopine, Omeprazole, Tamsulosin
On The Stereo: Don't Worry Baby: The Beach Boys With Lorrie Morgan
The fight has begun. The dragon struck the first blow. An unexpected one. My first new metastatic cancer in seven years. Shocking and sickening. Frightening news.
There has been no end to the surgeries and treatments required to keep the basel cells, carcinomas and in-situ melanomas, and lymphoma at bay. But my bride and I do what we must, to continue our lives. Our road has not been paved. Not a month has gone by without stitches and blood. For seven years now. And for years before that. And that, we have managed. It has not been pleasant. At times, sickening. To continue, we do whatever we must.
Cancer, in some form, has been integral to our lives. For decades now. It has shared our house. It has lived in my body. It has consumed my mind. And it has never broken me. It has torn me apart. It has ravaged my organs. It has stripped away my skin.
I have never succumbed.
This latest attack by my old nemesis will require a different plan. It will take family, friends, medical professionals and courage. It will take a positive outlook. It will take a willingness to manage the discomfort and pain which the dragon will induce. I am ready.
My family, with the exception of Stephanie, understand the circumstances. This cancer has migrated from my scalp, through the skull, and now rests on a major vein atop my brain. It seeks to either enter my brain or squeeze the vein, closing the flow of blood and causing a deadly hemorrhaging. The cancerous mass cannot be excised due to its proximity to my life's blood and brain. And its growth is dangerously rapid.
This dragon is a tricky bastard.
But we have a plan.
We have begun a new immunotherapy using Keytruda. This is a drug similar to Opdivo, which had been so successful during my last round of melanoma. So, why not use the same drug, one might ask. There is a small study underway, which uses Keytruda as a base, and amplifies its effectiveness by delivering a trial product, currently named PV-10, into a melanoma mass, by way of a needle. It is a sensitive and precise process, using a variety of scans and a surgeon, to transport the drug to an extremely exact location. That is the "why" of Keytruda.
I have completed my first infusion, which I recounted last week, and the second is scheduled for May 11th. Other than a short bout of fatigue, all is well. I will not exercise to the extent I did last week. I will try to behave. My teacher friend would grade me an "F", in acceptable behavior. And for whatever reason, I would be proud of that.
I have a meeting with Dr. Harrington tomorrow, on May 3rd. and we, hopefully, will set a date for the surgeries required to enable me to enter the PV-10 stage of the treatment. The extent of the surgery is, right now, a mystery to me. If graft(s) are a requisite, we will be into a full-blown, knock me out deal. Otherwise, an hour or so to perform excisions, with local anesthetics, will be all that is necessary. The nature of my life right now would suggest that the former will be the case, but I am still rooting for the simpler plan.
It is unlikely at this stage, to believe the surgery will be completed and successful prior to the next infusion date, so we might well be waiting another month or so before PV-10 can be added at the time of an infusion. (Hopefully- if I am approved). Waiting is not a point of strength with me.
A Note To Myself
So. My battle is underway. Time has become an enemy. The infusion, alone, might well do its job. Inspiring and strengthening my immune system to beat the dragon back. Its effectiveness can be enhanced by a boost of PV-10. But, the "if" and "when" of the drug's use is still unresolved. And likely will be for some time to come.
My body must become an unwelcome place for this melanoma. The dragon must lose.
As I did before, in my past, I again promised Kath to do my part.
I have brought out my "dragon belt", a gift from my Little Girl.
I showed Kat a golf ball I just found on my last round. Honestly.
Another of life's coincidences? Think what you will. I believe it is more. We simply need to be aware of our surroundings. Messages are found everywhere.
This day is dangerous . This day is replete with a dragon.
This day is also filled with love and hope. This day we are alive. This day is a good day.
This day, armed with the love, care, and prayers from my family and the best friends a human could have, I will be St. George.
Comments
Post a Comment