As many who have had a bout with melanoma know, it is not something that is "cured". As I have experienced with my 2 bouts is that is can come back at any time and without any warning. One of my big reasons for doing the clinical trial was because I wanted the best chance to catch the "next" melanoma as soon as possible. As part of the clinical trial, I have regular visits with my doctor and regular scans. Though I have had a few scares, luckily I have had clear scans now for 4+ years. As the doctor at Huntsman told me, I am currently the patient who has been in the trial the longest at Huntsman. It is to the point now that I it has been recommended that I return to seeing a dermatologist and my visits to Huntsman will not be as frequent. Though the news is great I still have in the back of my mind the question of when the "next one" will surface. Because I have decided not to worry about what I can't control, I am moving on cautiously but not
So it is done! I finished the clinical trial this month!!! It has been three years and now it is complete!! My scans were clear!! Dr Grossman even said that he was surprised how clear my scans were and how well I have been doing!!! We did talk about the future. I will go back and see him in 3 months and get scans again in 6 months. I will see him every 3 months for 2 years but will only get scans every 6 months. We talked about risk of re occurrence. I take this for what it is, statistical, because of going 7 years before re occurring. Statistically speaking, things look very good for me!!! What I do know is that melanoma is a monster and can come back at any time and disrupt life!!! The good thing is I know now some of the things that create a greater risk than others and can mitigate those risks as much as possible. The good thing is that this bout has not slowed me down. I play basketball twice a week and have been able to continue umpiring high school baseball!! Th