Cancer Update

For those of you who have been following my opinions, you will already be aware of my cancer condition.  For those of you who are new, I have been undergoing treatments for Lymphoma (in my 17th year) and Melanoma (in my 13th year).  

I receive two monthly inclusions (Opdivo for the Melanoma and IVIG to boost my anemia).  I take daily Venclexta pills for my Lymphoma at a cost of $12-$15,000/month.  I have a grant that pays for this.

Today, when I went for my month Opdivo infusion, my Oncologist felt a bunch of lymph nodes in my left arm pit and 2 in my right arm pit that had never been felt before.  While he appeared not to be worried, he ordered a PET scan.

A PET scan is a step up from a CT scan.  The CT shows location, the PET gives a 3D image for depth.  By ordering the PET scan he is more concerned than he would be had he ordered the CT scan. I have typically been getting a CT scan every 3-4 months.  So, I was due for one.

My monthly blood work, my physical condition, no weight loss yields the picture that it is probably nothing about which to worry and could just be from a recent infection that I was too healthy to notice.

But, there is also the possibility that my small scale Lymphoma will/could turn into large scale Lymphoma and become very aggressive.  In that case, I will undergo the wicked chemo and quite possibly radiation.

There also has been the possibility that my Melanoma will resist the treatment and begin to grow as well.

Consequently, I try to appreciate every single day even though even single day is not always filled with wonderous stuff going on.