Merkel and Me

 Thursday April 24, 2025     14 down, 11 to go.       Not too much to share today. I saw Dr. Harris yesterday, the radiology oncologist, and he seemed pleased with my progress.  He also seemed a little surprised that I wasn't experiencing any of the most common side effects.  I'm a little tired, but still active every day. I've had no nausea or other stomach issues, and the skin of the affected area is still in good condition.       The treatments are going quicker these days as the technicians and I have the routine down pat. It barely takes us more than a couple of minutes to get me set up on the table and lined up correctly.  They start the process which consists of various adjustments of the table and the machine.  I hear the buzz of the first dose which last about 45-50 seconds.  The machine moves and readjusts before giving me the second dose of about 35-40 seconds. Hop off the table and out the door I...

 Tuesday April 22, 2025     12 days down, 13 to go, so that means, after tomorrow I will be over halfway finished with my radiation treatments. Still no issues at the surgical site.  It's a little warm, but no redness, no dryness or cracking. I see Dr. Harris tomorrow, hopefully he will concur that everything looks good.  Everyone always asks how I'm feeling.  I'm never totally sure if they are asking about my physical state or my mental state. Physically, I'm fine. I get a little more tired during the day than usual, but no pain or discomfort. I'm still able to get my 10,000 steps in. Mentally I'm fine, too. I have full trust and confidence in my doctors, the treatment plan, and that God is in full control.      Psalm 73:26         My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.      Speaking of my doctors, I heard from Dr. Tran tonight.  Cathy and I both app...

 Thursday April 17, 2025     Day 9 in the books, 36% of the way through. Still doing fine, no pain or discomfort.  Saw the radiology oncologist yesterday and he's pleased with the progress so far.  He thought the area felt warm, but there were no outward signs of radiation.  Between him and my surgical oncologist I've now been given permission to play golf and go to the gym, as long as I take it slow and easy.  I've been doing my walking on a regular basis, and they said that will help with the tiredness that radiation can bring.      Tonight, I had one more CT scan. When they did the PET scan, they found something on one of my kidneys.  My surgical oncologist was sure it wasn't anything to be concerned about, but they are practicing "take no chances" medicine and checking out everything.  I was back to UCI Orange, 8:15 PM appointment for a CT urogram, another "stick me in a tube and take pictures" procedure. This one was with ...

Thursday April 10, 2025 4 down, 21 to go     Almost done with my first week of radiation treatments.  No issues yet except for the dullness of repetition. I'm already bored with 4 straight days of driving to Irvine, having my treatment, and then driving home.  I can only imagine how I'll feel by week 4 and 5.       I did see my radiation oncologist, Dr. Harris, on Wednesday.  He asked if I was feeling tired and I told him no, and there was no nausea either.  He checked the area and was pleased that there was no redness, but he reminded us of what to expect down the road. A quick check in, something that will happen every Wednesday during the treatment schedule.      I had an emotional, and sobering, weekend, especially considering my current circumstances. On Saturday I attended the memorial service for a 39-year-old woman who had recently died from cancer.  Her family and Cathy's family have been friends for years (d...

 Tuesday April 8, 2025     2 down, 23 to go.      I started today at the dermatologist office.  It was supposed to be a follow-up appointment to check on how I'm progressing since they first found the merkel cell carcinoma. Since that happened, my dermatologist left the practice for a new one in Sacramento, and I met with a new dermatologist today. As such, he decided to make it a full examination.       Nothing new was found.  I had a couple of spots frozen on my head and face, typical for one of my visits, but nothing suspicious was discovered. He shared a few sobering tidbits during the exam.      *It was fortunate that I decided to have the "cyst" removed or I might not be standing there today.     *They take merkel cell very seriously and I will be seeing him every three months, too.     *Most people who get merkel cell don't live very long because they didn't get it treated soon enough. ...

 Thursday April 3, 2025     Can you hear the muzak playing?  Yep, still on hold.     I did have a tele-appointment with my surgeon today, Dr. Tran, a follow-up to the original surgery. It was 5 weeks yesterday since the tumor was removed.  I was able to report that I'm doing fine, and the scar is healing nicely with no pain and no problems.  She even gave me permission to start golfing again, but to wait another week before returning to the gym. I've been walking every day getting my steps in.      Dr. Tran was able to confirm what we had already ascertained. The prior authorization for the radiation treatments had been denied. They will resubmit the request with further paperwork and plans. I'm imagining that the insurance company is thinking what many of my friends have asked.  "If the cancer is gone and the scans are clean, why do you need radiation?" I don't know that is the reason, but I'm guessing, maybe. I would tell the...