My Life's Journey with Melanoma

I received a phone call today from Chris who is in charge of the clinical trial.  It was a very funny phone call.  Chris was all excited.  Chris said, "I have some really good news for you today.  The pathologist report came back and it was confirmed the melanoma was in the lymph node, so its stage 3 and you qualify for the clinical trial."  I said, "That's good news....for you!"  Chris stopped for a minute and studdered.  Chris said, "I didn't mean it that way."  I laughed and told him that I was just giving him a hard time.  We both laughed!!! Chris told me that there was a mistake made when they drew blood and they did not get all the blood for tests that they needed.  Chris told me that I was suppose to get the blood draws done on Friday when I was there for my CT scan.  Chris told me for some reason it was not done.  Chris said in order for me to start the trial on Wednesday, I needed to get those blood draws d...

So on Friday I will go back to Huntsman and have another MRI scan in preparation for the clinical trial.  The clinical trial will start, if everything gets approved, on the following Wednesday.  It will be nice to start treatment, even if it is the placebo.  My face is healing pretty well.  I went back to the doctor because I had two lumps in my cheek.  The one lump was full of fluid and the other was full of blood.  They are going to test the blood just to make sure.

In 2003, I found a mole just above my hairline above my right eye.  It was removed and found to be melanoma.  I went to a surgical oncologist, Dr. Dirk Noyes, and had skin and tissue removed from the site as well as a sentinel node biopsy.  Three lymph nodes were removed.  Two from below my right ear and one near my right clavicle.  The test from those returned clear of cancer.  It was determined at that time that I would not have any additional treatment and would simply be monitored and observed.  I found a dermatologist, Dr. Ray Peterson, who I would see on a regular basis.  In those visits, my skin would be checked for any "suspicious" moles.  In 2007, during my check-up, my wife asked Dr. Peterson to removed a "spot" from my nose.  Though Dr. Peterson thought it was nothing, it was found to be squamous cell carcinoma.  A "Mohs" procedure was done and no other treatment. In January 2010, I found a small lump under my right e...