My melanoma nightmare update.

[fightforfreedom]

I am going for my 2nd Keytruda treatment today. No major side effects yet. The 7 inch scar on my face is healing well, still some swelling and still no feeling. It will probably take a good 6months before my face starts to get back to normal. Major surgery on your face is brutal. I tell people, excuse me for enjoying the sunshine. The doctors are still calling my melanoma unusual. It was right below my eye and it never showed itself.

These intravenous treatments take about 20 minutes. They are so expensive they should at least offer you a free chaser with it.

[StarryNite]

1. Thank you for the update.

I'm glad to hear things are moving in the right direction.

[fightforfreedom]

3. So far so good.

This is the first time in my life I have had to deal with a major health issue. I am already getting tired of the process, all the bullshit you have to put with. Nothing you can do about, you just have to deal with it.

Starting next week my melanoma nightmare may turn into my melanoma/ prostate cancer nightmare. The pet scan I had for the melanoma, showed no more melanoma. It did not spread. However it did show something on my prostate. The hits just keep on coming. From what I have read prostate cancer is fairly common in men aged 60 and older. There are lots of treatments.

I keep on having bad luck, followed by good luck. I'll take it.

The smartest thing I ever did is I always went to doctors for preventive purposes. I am catching things early. I know a lot of guys that don't do that. They hate going to the doctor. They won't go to a doctor until they really get sick. Not a good idea.

[Staph]

2. I've been on Keytruda for two and a half years.

If you want to chat about the experience and the side effects, message me. I'm off to the hospital for a treatment today.

[fightforfreedom]

4. Wow! That's a long time.

I only have to take it for a year. I thought that was a long time.

[Lonestarblue]

5. So glad you're getting the treatment you need, frustrating as it may be.

I hope all continues to move in the right direction.

[fightforfreedom]

6. Thank you.

[TeamProg]

7. Good luck and good health. Cheers! ( to that chaser) n/t

[LoisB]

8. I am glad things are going well. Six months will have gone by before you know it.

[Karadeniz]

9. Thanks! What story are you concocting to explain the scar? Too late for a dueling souvenir. Make

sure the story ends with, "But you should see the other guy!" Naturally
disclose the melanoma as a caution to others!

[Ms. Toad]

14. Stories are good things.

I have a divot out of my right frearm (sarcoma - a very aggressive cancer), covered by a (now) 2" x 2.5" graft with 1/2" stitch marks extending out like sun rays around it.

Since I occasionally dive with sharks, and it looks a bit like Frankenstein's stitched-together face, I call it my shark-bite-Franken-arm.

[Karadeniz]

17. !!!!! Not me!!!!

[Ms. Toad]

19. The sharks I swim with are pretty docile.

Nurse sharks, for the most part (I've been within 10 feet of them). Occasionally a black tip reef shark.

[Karadeniz]

20. !!!!! Not me!!!!

[Ms. Toad]

21. How about barracudas?

I swim with them, too

[Karadeniz]

22. They're worse! They don't casually amble around like sharks, they stand way back and then fly

at, what, 70 mph, and their teeth!!!!! There was a Something Bit Me episode recently... a couple were kayaking around S. FL and they saw a fish jumping high out of the water, glistening silver in the fading light. The NEXT SECOND, bammm!!!, the lady was blasted out of the kayak... She had a hole in her back exposing her LUNG!!!! She couldn't paddle, the man couldn't paddle because he had to keep one hand on her wound to keep her from bleeding out. I missed the next part, but he must've called for help. A boat with a medic aboard came hurtling towards them, realized the water depth wouldn't accommodate his boat and the kayakers couldn't get to him, so he pressed the pedal all the way and beached his boat on purpose, but it got them close enough. SO, another boat had to come and rescue the rescue boat! On shore, she was helicoptered to a hospital and LIVED!!! They said she wouldn't have lived if the rescue boat hadn't been willing to ditch his boat for immediate medical aid and thought later about how to get his boat out.
ALL FROM ONE STINKING BARRACUDA BITE!!!!

Actually, I am afraid of anything in open water. I made an exception for the waves at Makapuu, but I did have my own quiet hysteria attack whenever a piece of kelp would brush me. Yikes!

I forgot Hanauma Bay... that's within my comfort zone because it's clear as glass and the authorities assure us that there's a reef out there that keeps the sharks out. Must be true because hundreds of people are in the water, feeding frozen peas to the sweet, pretty fish and no sharks come up looking for a free meal.

[Ms. Toad]

23. 25-30 mph.

They do have nasty looking teeth. But they don't generally bother divers.

Here's my buddy the barracuda (don't remember/can't tell how far I was from him):



And my other buddy the snoozing nurse shark (I was closer than 10' when I took this picture):
.


You'll probably like this guy better (flounder - trying to hide in the sand):



Kelp - that's an entirely other thing. The closest I've come to a panic attack when diving was when I got tangled in kelp.

[Karadeniz]

24. I don't think I'd be afraid of a manatee... my speed!

[Ms. Toad]

26. Someday I'll go swim with manatees.

Now that I'm retired, I hope to go diving more frequently - and to more places.

[Ms. Toad]

27. Saw a sleeping 7' nurse shark today.

And a big bad Moray eel today. Got rounded up by two spotted eagle rays on Saturday.

I'm in heaven. No manatees, though.

[onecaliberal]

10. So glad you're getting treatment.

[DFW]

11. Tell people that you only found out after the operation

Never get operated on by a surgeon whose nickname is „Zorro.“

[Bev54]

12. Can I ask how you discovered the melanoma if it didn't show itself?

Perhaps something we should all look for???

[fightforfreedom]

16. I had a small cyst in the same area, not related to the melanoma.

The cyst was not growing in size but I got sick of looking at it. I decided to have it removed. After the cyst was removed, then the melanoma showed itself. It was like it was hibernating and was awoken when the cyst removed. Dam strange. Dam lucky.

[Bev54]

18. Yes damn lucky.

[Hortensis]

13. Great for no side effects and healing well, F.

And getting out. Wish more people did "for the sunshine." At least almost all have comfy homes to relax in now, but society in general needs more exposure to what is real human reality. Lack of can't be good.

[calimary]

15. Thank you for keeping us updated, fightforfreedom.

Cuz we’re gonna worry.

[Demovictory9]

25. sending your face good vibes