No Skiing or skydiving....

I saw the neurosurgeon yesterday after having a set of X-rays on my neck in various positions. (The head X-ray technician asked me if I realized I had the most skilled surgeon in the NW. I assured her I did!.) Dr Antezana said he was pleased with my progress and saw no reason to see me again for a year unless my oncologist thought I should see him. So he has turned me over to my primary care physician and the oncologist. He said it could be up to a year before we know how much the nerve would heal and he wanted me to continue physical therapy to get as much strength back in my arm as possible.

When I asked him what I could do, he said no skiing, skydiving or marathon running and I should wait 9 months or so before getting back to pickleball. He did say i could start working my way back into golf and should be able to hit a driver by the end of the summer.. So I came right home and reupped my golf membership at the country club!

I am so grateful to my amazing medical team. They are really remarkable people who have collaborated to give me a very high quality of life while I am fighting stage IV cancer.

Now I am looking forward to a summer of golf and travel!!

Glass 99% Full

Today was the day that I saw my oncologist and found out the results
of my scans. While waiting with Becca in his office, the young man who
is in charge of the experimental trials popped into the room and just
starting chatting with us about all the new melanoma trials they were
doing and his medical volunteer work in Haiti. My first reaction was
"oh, no..the scans must have been really bad and he is here to talk to
me about joining a trial." After about 10 minutes, Becca ask if he
were there in an official capacity. He laughed and said " why, no." He
had just seen my name on the list of patients and wanted to stop in
and see how I was doing. Boy, did I breathe a sigh of relief!

Dr. Lufkin was hard to read today as my scan are not completely clear.
There is a lot of uptake in the neck, but that might be just the
result of surgical healing. I have two new area of uptake in my lung
and pelvis, but no masses show on the CT and the uptake is just a
little above background. So we are in a holding pattern with more
definitive scan to come in four months. I was directed to go and enjoy
the summer and not to let the scans interfere with any travel plans.
So the news is good...my disease is not rapidly getting worse and we
hope that all the tumor is gone from my neck.

My enjoyment of this news has been somewhat tempered by the fact that
I am in a great deal of pain this evening that is keeping me from
sleeping. I am having physical therapy to strengthen my left arm and
neck. Something I did in today's session has inflamed the nerve down
my arm and into my hand and so far the pain pills have not touched it.
Let's hope that this is temporary and will improve by tomorrow so that
I can revel in the good news and the absolutely gorgeous weather we
are having.

 I got a copy of the x-rays of my neck and have attached it so that
you all can see the amazing hardware that is holding it all together.
Don't you think the TSA folks will have fun when I light up in the
body scanners!