Not much of an update. I've done nothing on the car except an hour or two updating and correcting paperwork.
The weather has been perfect for working in the garage, but I'm still not up to it physically and the little energy I have is prioritized to keeping the household functioning.
My surgery locations are nearly healed. The skin graft was mostly successful and yesterday the doctor did some touch-up cutting away a few dead skin areas. The malignancy was only about a half-inch in diameter, but they removed a chunk of flesh about three inches in diameter and a quarter inch deep.
Immediately following the surgery, the underarm lymph node removal was the least noticeable, but it has been the most annoying while healing because it's in an area that flexes and makes me favor my dominant right arm.
The future is still a question mark. I decided not to have the PET scan as I can't comply with some of the requirements to assure a good scan and it doesn't make sense to waste taxpayer's dollars on what would likely be an inaccurate and unusable scan. Even if it had identified any other cancers, it would only mean that they had not caught the melanoma before it spread, so not much gained by finding more.
I'm also not taking the immunotherapy treatments. After more research, I learned it's similar to chemotherapy and the efficacy rate is not spectacular. I would have to take it every three weeks and the side effects could be anything from an upset stomach to destruction of healthy organs, or even fatal in 1%-2% of the patients.
The wife and I decided to play the hand the way it was dealt. If they caught all the active cells, the AI prediction was that it would be another year or so before malignancy hit, and at 82 years old, I'm beyond what is expected. If they didn't catch them all, well I'll just do my best to be happy with the odds and enjoy whatever time is left. With any luck, I still might be able to hear the old Plymouth fire up for the first time!
Thanks for the update. it certainly sounds like you are on top of things. After having a emergency flight for a pacemaker last summer I am well aware how this kind of thing effects the thought process. Hang in there snoopy!
ReplyDeleteGary,I don't know you,or your country well,but it seems to me,you have more than earned every threatment the health service can offer you ? But,of course,it's your choice which path to follow,just don't think you should feel bad " waisting " tax payers dollars.. I wish you the best for the future,and we are all waiting for that engine to rumble ,you know !!
ReplyDeleteI wish you and your family a Happy Christmas,and a Happy New Year !
Geir
Thanks Geir! I don't mind using health care that I've earned with my taxes, but in this case, I've considered all the possibilities and predictions, and decided it would be foolish for me to use the treatment if there is not a high expectation of success. The chemotherapy treatment would be a two-hour infusion of drugs every three weeks that may or may not have debilitating side effects. At my age, the odds of success without the therapy are about 40-60, and the best they can predict is about 50-50, so I'm unwilling to give up the near-term comfort to gain so little improvement. I have a goal of hearing my car fire up and drive it out of the garage, and if I make it that long, I'll be happy!
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