Hi all! I'm reporting from Houston, where I've just completed my two-month checkup since ending biochemo. My dad and I flew down on Wednesday and have been staying with my good friends Kevin and Melissa Gardner. I had a battery of tests and scans--a full blood panel, chest x-ray, brain MRI, and chest, abdomen, and pelvis CTs--yesterday followed by a visit with Dr. Legha this evening.
I wasn't sure what the doctor would say during this visit. I have regained most of my strength since treatment ended and I feel pretty good, but the two subcutaneous nodes that remained after biochemo had grown significantly. Thankfully, Dr. Legha reported that the internal tumors have remained stable and that all of my blood counts are normal. He said my lymphocyte counts in particular were very good (from what I understand, the lymphocyte counts provide doctors with a way to measure the health of the immune system). The doctor also said there is no evidence that the melanoma has metastasized to the brain or lungs. He told me to keep an eye on the subcutaneous nodes and that he will remove them if they grow much larger. That would be fine by me. The less cancer I have in my body, the better!
Now I can rest easy for another two months and enjoy being at home for most of the summer. I will return to Houston on August 23 and 24 for another two-month checkup.
In other news, Finn is exactly one month old today. He's a great baby and eating like a champ. Aubrey, Regan, and Jack continue to shower him with affection; they're proving to be excellent siblings. Kelly is getting back on her feet; in fact, she's holding down the fort all by herself while I'm away. I hear she even took all the kids--and the neighbor boys--for ice cream at Baskin Robbins today to celebrate the last day of school (yes, you read that correctly; they're just now getting out of school). I guess you can't keep a good woman down!
We fly out of Houston tomorrow morning at 7:00 a.m. so I need to cut this off. I'll write more in a couple of months after my August visit. Keep the prayers going that we hear more good news at that time.
Jeff
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2 comments:
Jeff: This is GREAT NEWS! All of your hard work is paying off. Your dedication to eating healthy, walking, getting exercise, spending time with the family and keeping a positive outlook are why you are having good results! I am so proud of you. Your hard work and committment is really an inspiration. Have fun celebrating with the family, enjoy father's day and I love you!
Mary M
Awesome! While not perfect, this is the kind of news we all hope and pray for.
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