Almost human again

Today is day 5 off of the drug and I am feeling almost human again. Woke up early and took a walk before the sun came out and that felt really good. Over did it by then walking with my granddaughter and brother-in-law up to the coffee shop for a bagel and coffee. I went back to bed only to get a call from the dermatologist that they could work me in..in 15 minutes!!

The dermatologist said the rash was what they were seeing with this BRAF inhibitor just more extensive and the lesions popping up all over were not squamous cell carcinomas (YEA!) but we think he said they were keratocanthomas (???). He biopsied three of them. If that is what they are, they are benign but often a lot of them crop up on this drug. I sure won't win any beauty contests but then again if this stops the spread of the melanoma, I will still be alive!!!

Next we saw the study nurse who was relieved that the rash is toning down and less itchy and sore. It is something I am going to have to live with at a more moderate level if I stay on the drug. We agreed that I was not at the moderate level yet so I will call and report my progress on Friday when he hopes that I can restart the drug at a lower dosage.

This means that I can head back to Corvallis tomorrow and don't have to go back to the doctors office again until next Tuesday when I am scheduled for blood tests, EKGs, and various doctors visits. I am really looking forward to being home and back in my own bed.

However, it does look like my days of playing golf are over for a while unless I play before 9 am and after 6 pm. The extreme sun sensitivity is not something that goes away or gets better.