Rich's Decision

Rich has taken all the options into consideration and has decided to go with the "check the body religiously" method.  He will see his local oncologist and his dermatologist every quarter, he will get scans every six months - rotating between the CT and the PET.  Rich is comfortable with his decision and he is in a happy place right now.  He is allowed to go back to work.  Oh and his scar looks AMAAAAZING!  The surgeon sewed him up so nicely that you can hardly tell they cut through a tattoo. 

We are in a good place right now :)  We are thankful that there was only one cancerous lymph node and not more. 

Now we can focus all of our attention on Parker, she's going to be here in a little under three months!  And honestly, we cannot wait to meet her.  We have classes up the wazoo and still have her nursery to prepare.  I am dealing with gestational diabetes; however, I've already lost some weight AND I have started a great exercise program - walking at lunch and then after dinner.  Rich joins me on my after dinner walk which is really nice. 

This has been a gnarly experience and we know that he isn't completely out of the woods, but for the time being, we are living in this happy little moment. 

Happy news is a good thing. 

My Weird Thingy

I went to the doctor yesterday and he said it is a benign nevus.  I love the word benign.  I'd marry it if polygamy was legal. 

I have been walking at lunch (putting on my SPF 70 sunscreen beforehand though) and then Rich and I walk in the evening.  Getting healthy all the way around. 

I'm Getting Checked!

I'm going today after work to get this weird thing on my back checked out that popped up when I was 17.  My friend's oncologist took a look at it when I was 20 but I might as well pay someone to look at it.  I am going to my husband's GP, his name is Dr. House and that is pretty awesome with me.  While I am there, I get to pick up my diabetes supplies!  I know, all this excitement in one day. 

Rich is feeling really good, he's still a little stiff but is ready to go back to work.  His drain is out and the hole in his neck looks pretty punkrawk, pshhh you got your face pierced? My husband has a hole behind his ear.  Another awesome thing is that the surgeon did a really great job of lining up his tattoo. 

Thankful for the happy things.  I am going to make like my friend Charles and be positive for the rest of the week!  Sure I have GD but my husband's nodes were clean and clear, I'd take GD any day over husband having cancerous cells in his nodes.  I'm thankful he finally listened to me and made that appointment.  I am thankful he is staying on track with his course of action.  I am thankful that in July we are going to have a healthy baby girl.  I am thankful.  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  What?

All Clear

Rich's doctor called him today to let him know that they nodes they took out are all clear.  This is the first awesome medical news we have received.  We are SO happy and grateful.  Now we just move along with the specialists and interferon and make that happen. 

Also I failed my gestational diabetes test - I had two abnormal tests which means FAIL!  But it's ok, I am eating right and exercising now :) 

All Drainy on the Western Front

Rich got to come home on Thursday, he now has a funtime drain!  YAY!  Ok not yay, he can't sleep well with it and is constantly afraid it is going to pop out.  Understandable.  He has to drink eight ounces of MCT oil which we just learned he can mix with fruit juices, which is way better.  He said it tastes like drinking butter.  Ew.  He is not a happy camper at all, but we believe he will get his drain out on Monday and maybe he can quit the low fat diet, even though the low fat diet is best for him.  He just wants some damn cake! 

Today I am taking my three hour glucose test.  I haven't eaten in over 13 hours, I just had my blood drawn once and I chugged 100 mg of a sugary warm orange drink.  I have three more blood draws after this, 10:22, 11:22 and 12:22 - then I get to eat some lunch!!  Oh food <3 

Sitting in a lab waiting room is not awesome, I think someone just crop dusted the area.  Aw man! 

Surgery Went Well

Surgery went well.  Rich is totally unhappy with the clear diet they have him on (broth, jello, tea and water). 

He has so far denied the morphine and norco - he did get set up with some tylenol with codine.

He is feeling as good as can be expected though, he really wants to get home tomorrow (duh).  We have to purchase a recliner so he can convalesce in comfort - and I need a recliner when it's baby feeding time.

One really awesome thing about the hospital is they play that lullaby song when a baby is born, we have heard it six times so far.   It just makes you feel all warm and fuzzy that a life has been brought into the world.

I want candy more than anything, they have sour worms in the vending machine.  I want to eat them.  I won't, but I want to. 

Hopefully my next blog will state that we are home and enjoying it :)  YEAH! 

Oh and Rich's incision looks great, it's a little longer than we thought but hey - the nodes are out.  The doctor also said he didn't see any nodes that looked visibly bad to the naked eye, he has to get them checked out under a microscope next. 

Good stuff.

Surgery Update

Surgery went well, the surgeon didn't see any gross nodes but they have to still check them under a microscope.  Surgery lasted a little over four hours, I actually get to see him in 1-2 hours.  I cannot wait until I can see him.

Surgery Day

We got here just before 7 this morning.  Rich had tons of doctors and nurses come in and explain the severity of the surgery, holyshit way to scare a pregnant woman and the person going in for surgery.  This is not fun at all.  He's been in the OR for just over an hour and the surgery is scheduled to last four hours, recovery will be two hours, them he gets his hospital room.  We're both scared.  I wish they wouldn't explain everything, I know they have to but come on. 

The OR nurse said she would call me with updates.  She hasn't yet. 

I want sugar and candy and soda, thanks.

Updates later. 

PET Scan Results

+PET scan came out clean except his ankle which he had broken twice in the past. Surgery is tomorrow! He decided on the lesser surgery - and I get to spend the night!

One to Two Days in the Hospital

We got the news yesterday that Rich will be in the hospital for 1-2 days, I hope I can stay with him, SLEEP OVER!!!!!  Maybe they have an uncomfortable chair or even an uncomfortable couch/bed!  Swinging into my third trimester, that should be fun. 

Our laptop got some nasty virus where I can't go anywhere on the internet except some website to buy an anti virus program.. Yeah, like I trust that.  So I will have my phone tomorrow and my dinosaur of a laptop which shuts down randomly.  I got to work at 6:30 and will only have to make up five minutes between Thursday and Friday.  All will be good.  Yes.  I will keep telling myself that until I believe it.  It's not working yet.

The Day Before Pre-Op

Still haven't heard anything about the PET scan - no news is good news?  Maybe.  We probably will find out about it tomorrow when we seee Dr. No People Skills for Pre-Op.

I failed my gestational diabetes test and get to move on to the second round in Gestational Diabetes Idol!  That test will be three hours and a lot of blood drawn.  Can't wait!  Also never look up what high white blood cell counts mean when you are pregnant, it could just be that you are pregnant.  Or I have an infection - who knows!  But no word from my doctor.  I sit and wait. 

Rich's surgery on Wednesday will be awesome and then we can move forward and see what else is in store! 

The Specialist

On April 29th Rich gets to go see a melanoma specialist in Riverside.  Not like he is going to give us any breaking news in melanoma treatment, but maybe there's a good clinical trial out there.  All the treatments just sound bad, but it's better than waiting and seeing, at least for Rich it is (and us too).

Happy thoughts.

Parker and Me at 26 Weeks!

All is Awesome with Baby

We went for Parker's check up yesterday, her heart is good, fast and strong and I am measuring right on time.  We broke Rich's news to my doctor, he was taken aback - but really, how do you take news like that?  Of course, the way I drop it on people is like I went to the store and got milk, we are going to see a movie, oh and he was recently diagnosed Stage IIIB melanoma.  There's really no right way to drop that news on someone ever. 

Rich told his oldest sister, and that went pretty ok, as ok as it could have gone.  So now three of his five living sisters know what is going on. 

Oh and I went to the dentist!  She said I need scaling and root planing, I made an appointment for May, but then did some research and realized that I am way too far into my pregnancy to even think about getting it done - I wish the denstist knew the ADA's guidelines like I do, ok I don't know them but I can Google with the best of them!

So Saturday is a big fun medical day, I get tested for gestational diabetes (FUN!!) and Rich gets his PET Scan. 

You Down with P-E-T? Yeah, You Know Me!

Rich's PET Scan is scheduled for Saturday night at 6 p.m.  He basically has to be a couch potato for 24 hours and cannot consume anything six hours prior to this scan.  This scan will be taken in a parking lot, inside of a trailer.  That's how we roll. 

Rich got his stitches out this morning and talked to his first surgeon about his second surgeon.  She said that his new surgeon is a great surgeon, he just sucks at people skills, which is good to know.  Rich can even go back to work for a bit until his surgery next week, which he is really excited about.  His first surgeon also said he can hit some golf balls and drive his truck, so long as it doesn't hurt.  His blood pressure was even down today, 123/86 which is amazing for him, probably the lowest I have ever seen it.  So, good things! 

Tomorrow is the baby doctor where we will get to hear Parker's heart and maybe even see her!  Good stuff!

First Visit to the Oncologist

Good news!  No Tumors!  There are some nodes of concern but nothing to freak out about (we think).  Rich is so relieved that there were no tumors.  Rich, me, my parents and their respective spouses all exhaled.  Yes, we had six people in the room (seven if you include our gestating daughter).  Rich has his next surgery on April 20th and then he will start his interferon treatment soon thereafter. 

We are moving along.  We are thinking happy thoughts.  Rich even brought his lucky rock, yes it has come to that.  But it worked. 

Tomorrow he gets his stitches out and then we have a happy doctor visit on Wednesday to check up on the baby girl.  We are so excited and blessed. 

I know only my best friend reads this blog, but that's ok :)  I am getting it all out on screen.  AND!  Rich is letting me get a picture of his awesome scar tomorrow before the stitches come out.  His surgeon did a great job of matching up his tattoo.  I love her, we love his oncologist, jury is still out on the head and neck surgeon - I want to like him!  I am trying to get him to warm up.

Adios for now! 

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's Off to the Oncologist We Go

Welcome to my blog, I haven't blogged in close to five years so what better time to start than now!  I'm 25 weeks and 4 days pregnant, oh and my husband was just diagnosed a few weeks ago with Stage III melanoma.   I know - big 2011 for us! 

It started with this gross mole on his clavicle that I have never liked.  Finally, it bothered him and he went to get it checked out.  We get a call that it IS melanoma, which is not the most awesome call to get, but we dealt with the news.  We make an appointment to see a surgeon to get the ugly mole cut off along with a sentinel node biopsy while he's there.

March 23, 2011 is surgery day!  And boy, was he ever excited (/end sarcasm).  We get there, he gets dyed blue and plied with radioactive business, then under the knife he goes.  The surgery went well and his surgeon godess comes out and tells us there are two lymph nodes which is not surprising (it has to drain somewhere she says!)  But she isn't nervous.  We don't think about the nodes and just go on with husband's surgical recovery. 

We go in for post-op the following week and we are told that the arm pit node was clean (woohoo!!) but the one in his neck had several tiny microscopic cells (no woohoo... more like boohoo..)  Apparently we both turned white so the nurse got us juice, juice doesn't make the information any easier to bear.

Next stop - head and neck surgeon for oncology!  He will give us good news, right?  Nope.  In fact it is horrible news.  "It's grim."  Who the hell says that to a pregnant lady?  I know he's a surgeon and surgeons cannot have hearts, if surgeons had hearts, there would be no surgeons.  It takes a really screwed up person to be able to cut someone up daily for their job.  But this is solely my opinion.  The head and neck surgeron says he has a melanoma patient that has been surviving for 10 years and she even has a brain tumor!  (Is this supposed to make me or my husband feel better?  We have a daughter due in July, my husband has plans to see her graduate.)

April 5, 2011, husband went in for a scan, from the pelvis to the brain.  We have not heard the results of that yet, but hope they are good.  We hope to get the results today.  I am trying to keep positive but it's hard.  Every other time I have been positive down this road, we get a reality smack of something that is not positive.  Today - we go to the oncologist. 

I know it is going to be a long battle, a long road, a long everything.  I know it is selfish, but I am worried that my husband will be going through treatment while I am in labor, I just want him to be there.  I want him to be strong enough to hold his daughter when she first enters the world.  I just want to be strong enough to get through this. 

Well on the bright side, we've met our deductible so.. that's wonderful. 

Just keep moving forward.