Week of Sept 15-23/08

September 23/08
I saw Dr. Rideout last Monday (Sept 15), and I saw my excision for the first time. Although I knew what to expect, it was nonetheless a bit of a shock to see another huge chunk gone from my leg. The crescent-shaped hole measures 15cm long x 5cm wide x 2cm deep. On the up side, however, comparing it to last year’s excision right next to it, I realized how well I had healed from that, and knew that this time next year, this new scoop-out would look as good as the first one does now. Dr. Rideout said the wounds looked great, and he made arrangements for Home Care to come by daily for dressing changes. I have over 40 staples, the graft donor site is the same site that was used last year (anterior left thigh), and I still have to stay on complete bed rest and wear a splint.

On Tuesday I saw Dr. Pace, and he was pleased with how I was healing. He said that since Dr. Rideout would be doing follow-up for the skin graft, there was no need to come back to see him too. In the meantime, he’s still investigating that 6mm nodule in my thigh, and when he amasses all the PET, CT and MRI scans, he’ll bring them to a radiologist to compare them all. Hopefully that nodule will turn out to be nothing more than an innocent cyst or scar tissue.

By Thursday, Dr. Pace phoned with the pathology results, and he faxed them to me. All the margins are clear. The specimen was divided into three sections, top, middle and bottom. The top and bottom sections were negative for melanoma. The middle section tested positive, but with clear margins. The depth margin was a minimum of 7mm, and the lateral margin was a minimum of 2 mm. That’s still pretty close, but they localized it to the superio-lateral margin, so at least we know what direction it’s taking – towards the knee-cap.

Jim took the rest of the week off to take care of me. I had planned on going up to the cabin again with Cal and Sherry on Thursday because I can’t travel in Jim’s truck, but Jim wanted me to stay home with him. He went out for awhile, and when he came back, he showed me a picture on his phone of a red Ford Escape. I asked “Is that the SUV you’re thinking of buying?” He replied “No, that’s the SUV that I just bought!” WOW!!! He didn’t have it yet, as he ordered a trailer hitch and a remote starter, but he’d have it the next day. He said he was frustrated with me not being able to ride in the truck, so he traded it in on an SUV. I told him this was only a temporary handicap, but he figured I’d likely have more surgeries in the future. He’s probably right.

So Friday, we headed up to the cabin in our new Escape. Early that evening, while Jim was hosing down the quad in the garden, a huge cow moose sauntered up the driveway, walked right past Jim, went behind the shed, and headed into the woods! That was quite a sighting! Later we went over to Cal and Sherry’s for the evening. Daphne was having a ladies only night, and they all came over to visit, decked off in grass skirts and bandanas, and well on! Daphne, Brittney, Courtney, Natasha, Doris and Dessie, all well into party mode!!!

On Saturday, my friend Pam (who’s a nurse) came by to change my dressings. As she approached the driveway, she quickly veered away when she saw two moose lingering at the bottom of our driveway. She went over to visit Sherry instead, and came back after the moose had gone. I went over to Sherry’s for the afternoon while Cal and Jim went for a run on the quads to Gould’s Pond to visit Cal’s friend Alex, and while we were lazing outside in the fall sunshine, Mom, my sister Doreen, brother Dave and sis-in-law Judy showed up, laden with 2 huge striploin roasts destined to be sliced into steaks for the BBQ, and a load of salads. So we headed back to our place, and Sherry joined us. Then our friends Susan and Dean Coates dropped by, Greta Lynch dropped by with a gift of a bottle of wine, and soon Jim and Cal came home. What a crowd in our little cabin! See? That’s why we need that extension!!

We came back to town on Sunday, and I’ve been bored out of my mind since then. Tomorrow I’ll be getting my staples out, and hopefully be freed of the splint. I’ll be seeing Dr. Rorke on Oct 2, when I’m sure we’ll be discussing adjuvant treatment. Until then, all I have to do is get stronger and get back to normal!