Good news

Well I have some good news for a change.

I have received my new prosthetic eye. I have been told that it looks great.

I also have the results from my biopsy at the Cleveland Clinic. No cancer was identified on my liver. The area in question is just harmless tissue.

I have also been told that I do not have to continue with the chemo treatment. This is truly great news.

The oncologist said that he does not want to see me for three months. They will do a new scan then.

Thanks to all my friends and co-workers for all of the positive thoughts and prayers.

October 30, update on my adventures.

Since my last post I have been back to the Cleveland Clinic two times. On the first trip I had an MRI of my liver. The MRI showed no significant change since the one back in July. The doctor wanted me to schedule a new biopsy of my liver. I went back today for that biopsy. The doctor that did the biopsy indicated that he did not see any signs of tumor. They sent the samples (six of them) off to be analyzed.

I have also been through two more rounds of chemo treatment, not fun. However, the doctor in Cleveland said that he does not want me to do any more Chemo until they know that I need it for sure.

After the first trip to Cleveland, Carol and I took a couple of days to drive up to Niagara Falls on the Canadian side. The weather was fantastic. We spent several hours walking around the falls. We had lunch at the restaurant across from the falls. The view was fantastic.

Also, I will be getting my new prosthetic eye on Thursday. See ya.

Update on treatment and all

Thank you to all of my friends for their cards, prayers and well wishes. I also want to thank my co-workers for the Supper Tyme meals. Carol and I really appreciate the prepared dinners for their ease of preparing and serving. This is especially true for those days that we have appointments with doctors. The food is really tasty.

My son and his wife came in from Wyoming to spend some time with Carol and I. It was really great to have them here for a week. Paul, my dad and I took a trip to Albany, New York to see a WWII destroyer escort (DE) that is being refurbished by the destroyer escort sailors association. The DE is very similar to the one that my dad was on during WWII. My dad showed us the location of his bunk on the ship as well as the muffler room that he would hide in to read. The ship is in great shape and continues to be restored by the association.

I have been working 4 hours a day for a few weeks. Looks like I will return to full time soon.

I did go through another round of chemo treatment. No fun.

I went to see my eye surgeon as a follow up to my surgery. I am doing well according to the doctor. I will be going to the doctor to fit me for my prosthetic eye on 10/11. Also, I will be returning to the Cleveland Clinic on 10/22.

I also have been back to my psychologist. Again this is a great benefit from Nationwide.

Generally speaking I do not feel to bad right now. God willing I will be cured.

Updates on Treatment

I am recovering from my enucleation surgery. We went to see the eye surgeon and she showed Carol how to put back my temporary prosthesis. I have now learned how to do it myself. I will have to wait 6-8 weeks before I can get a permanent prosthesis. In the meantime, I had my left eye class tinted.

Carol drove me up to the Cleveland Clinic last Wednesday. We went to the appointment Thursday morning to see the melanoma specialist, Dr. Ernest Borden. The Cleveland Clinic is one big hospital. Dr. Borden and his associate examined me thoroughly. He said that the treatment that I am receiving collectively in Columbus is the correct treatment. He repeated (like all of the other doctors) that my condition is very rare. He did request that I return in six weeks and have an MRI of my liver. He would like a comparison of the original MRI to determine if there is any change.

I have decided to change my oncology doctor. The new oncologist is with the Zangmeister center (sent me to Cleveland for consultation). I will be taking another round of Chemo treatment next week.

I have decided to return to work part time. I will be working about 4 hours a day for the most part, mostly from home.

Treatment update

I was admitted to the OSU Hospital Friday morning for the enucleation of my left eye and optic nerve. The surgery was scheduled to be 1.5 hours. The actual surgery was 3.5 hours. The surgeon identified a new tumor that she referred to as a nubbin. She removed the eye as well as the optic nerve, as much as possible. Dr. Benes viewed my eye socket with a microscope in an attempt to identify and remove as much of the disease as could be identified and remove. She also inserted a temporary prosthesis.

They moved me to the OSU Trauma center following the operation. My doctor wanted me to be monitored overnight. Our insurance would not cover a regular overnight hospital stay (shame on them). This caused confusion amongst the OSU hospital trauma staff (who brought me? where did I come from, who put in the IV? What happened to me? etc.). They did monitor me overnight. I was awakened by them once an hour so they could monitor my vital signs. Also, the guy in the bed next to me was in really bad pain. He had been involved in a farm tractor accident, it rolled over on him, broke his back and pelvis.

Saturday morning, Dr. Benes arrived with a package of eye patches that she picked up from Walgreens on the way in. Dr. Benes removed and replaced my bandages, as well as provided instructions to Carol for care of my eye.

This morning, as I was taking a shower, I accidentally removed my temporary eye prosthesis as I was trying to clean the area around my eye. Carol attempted to put it back. She could not. We called the doctor. The doctor said I could come to her office this week and she would put it back in.

I have a busy week with doctors. I will see my psychologist on Tuesday. On Thursday I will go to the Cleveland Clinic to see an oncologist that specializes in melanoma cancer. On Thursday I return to my new oncologist at the Zangmeister center.

Treatment update

I am scheduled to have the enucleation of my left eye at OSU Hospital this Friday, August 31. I should be home sometime Saturday.

Treatment and decisions

I finished the Temodar (chemo) treatment Friday. That stuff is nasty, that is it made me feel really bad.

I feel a lot better since I have been off of it.

I went to see a different Oncologist on Friday to get a different opinion. He did have a different opinion. I do believe that I will switch to this Oncologist for my care in the future. He has a different opinion on my prognosis.

I spent yesterday seeing eye doctors. After talking to them I have concluded that enucleation of my eye is the thing to do. Today, I told them to get it scheduled. I will be going to OSU, probably next Thursday to have the procedure.

Wish me luck on my continuing journey.