Cancer -- a short history

We have started on an uncharted journey for our family--dealing with CANCER.  It is still hard for me (Patricia) to say the words "I have cancer".  But it is true, and not one but two primary cancer tumors.

A brief history will catch us up-to-date while I can still remember the details.

From 1994-1998 I had several episodes and surgeries to remove pigmented, level skin spots on my left check which were classified as pre-melanoma cells.  I have been very diligent about avoiding sun exposure (I have a great sun hat collection) and have had no reoccurence until this summer.

While on a trip to Utah and Colorado this spring and summer, a skin-colored lesion appeared on my upper left lip.  In the one month before we returned to Huntsville, it grew and grew but still had no dark pigment. We were not overly concerned about the lesion because it looked nothing like my previous problem areas.   But my daughter was insistent and managed to get me an appointment with a local dermatologist in only 3 weeks instead of the usual 6 month "new patient" wait period.  August 27 appointment with Dr. M. alarmed us somewhat because she wouldn't biopsy it and referred us to a plastic surgeon.  Ten days later I had a consultation visit with Dr. D.  who scheduled surgery in his clinic in another ten days (September 20).

This first surgery was not too bad at all.  No hospital admissions and twilight anesthesic.  He did a great job even though he had to cut through the lip and stitch inside my mouth, etc.  The next day I was up cooking breakfast for house guests!  It took another 10 days to get the biopsy results because the local path lab sent the sample to California and additional dyes for measuring.

On Sept. 29 Dr. D. called with the Melanoma word.  Devastation was our immediate reaction. On Oct. 3, we met with Dr. D. and planned the next surgery and got appointment with a general surgeon, Dr. H., to remove sentinel lymph node at the same time.  The next day we met with Dr. H and he suggested a PET scan before proceeding to see if the melanoma had already spread.

On my birthday (Oct.7) I had a PET scan at a local hospital.  Dr. H. called with the results that evening and reported that it showed something in the colon.  He arranged for me to see a colo-rectal surgeon on Oct. 11.  Dr. C. performed a scope in his office and found and biopsied the tumor.  He made appointments with a radiation oncologist and medical oncologist two days later.  These were consulting visits and a firm plan of treatment will be developed after my resection surgery for melanoma and node testing.

On Oct. 20, I had node mapping at a local hospital.  Injecting the radioactive material in my cheek and lip was probably the worst things I've ever had done!  It felt like fire under my skin, but I survived and then went on to a surgery clinic for the resection.