Oncology, Dermatology, Dictionary.com where are you?
The humidity is thick in the air from all of the rain and storms we have had. I continue to be driving Miss Daisied around town because I am not yet released to drive. I'm kind of enjoying being chauffeured around but have found that I can be a constant back seat driver to mom and Katie! (sorry girls) With Lamar, after being together for 14 years, he's used to the helpful tips that I give him when he's driving! So on Monday June 23rd, I was driven to my first appointment with my oncologist, Dr. Costas Constantinou.
An oncologist is a doctor who deals with cancer. Oncology is concerned with the diagnosis of any cancer, therapy, care throughout the disease, screening and everything in between. It's a field of medical care that takes a special person.
Mom, Katie and I went into the office and it was warm and felt like a home! The staff was so sweet and they welcomed us all with smiles and a lot of care in their eyes.
Mom and Katie were watching Kathy Lee and Hoda while I was filling out the paper work and enjoying their living room setting and trying to relax on their couch. I was waiting for Erin and in through the door she came. Erin took time from work to come and be by my side.
Erin is a huge part of my life and a huge part of my support system. Her and I have been friends since we met in kindergarten at Hillcrest Elementary when we were just 5 years old. She's become more like a sister to me in more ways than I ever could have imagined. Her full time job is working for Gilda's club as their outreach manager and she does a fabulous job. She has dealt with cancer first hand and is very loving, patient and kind. She's a huge support to me and I could never imagine my life without her.
gildasclubqc.org/
The nurse called me back and the four of us followed her back to the room. I was nervous but Dr. Constantinou was very friendly and funny. He talked with me about my medical history and he even asked Katie questions about school. He did my exam and discussed everything about my melanoma. My melanoma has been removed and with the lymph node biopsy coming back clean, there's a really good chance that I've beaten this! We will not be certain of other melanoma spots being a possibility until I have my appointment with my dermatologist and determine if I've got anymore "hotspots".
I go back to Dr. Constantinou on July 23rd. I've been so blessed with good news!!!
So why don't I feel so free?
I'm in this weird place between battling this diagnosis, 3 surgeries, 3 biopsies, the fears during the waiting, the never ending adjustments of what this new life is, enduring blood work, injections, IV's, CT scans, and X-rays.
It seems as quickly as this thing has started, it's coming to an end.
I'm not disappointed in any way that I may be coming close to the end of my battle and the happiness of the cancer not spreading, but I'm still trying to catch up emotionally and physically.
I'm trusting God to continue to see me through, because he's my stability and His word is true.
"Trust in The Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6
I know that where I am physically and mentally, I won't stay at forever. Through this I will continue to keep my eyes focused on him and know that he will guide me through as he always does.
"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. The life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20
June 25th
My dermatology appointment was ok. If you have ever been to a dermatologist for a full body check, you come out with no sense of modesty anymore. After the poking, writing on his diagram, checking every crevice on my body, he said I have to come back in 4 weeks. He was nice and said he wanted to wait for me to continue to heal from my surgeries before he does more biopsies! WAIT, What? More biopsies?? Unfortunately, yes! There are a few spots that are questionable and need to be tested! Sigh.....
I have to tell you though, that the visit really continued to open my eyes about the tanning bed and that the tanning bed being that cause of my MELANOMA CANCER. YES,
TANNING BEDS=SKIN CANCER!!
Do I have evidence to run my mouth about this? Yes, absolutely! The places that Dr. Kumar found are located on my rear end! I thought a lot about sharing this piece of personal information but I feel like I need too. There has been no sun exposure to that area (No worries of me laying out in the nude to those who were concerned!) but a lot of ultraviolet exposure from years of me laying in the tanning beds.
In July, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a working group of the World Health Organization, added ultraviolet (UV) radiation-emitting tanning devices - tanning beds and lamps - to the list of the most dangerous forms of cancer-causing radiation. It joins an assembly of hazardous substances including plutonium and certain types of radium, as well as radiation from the sun. www.skincancer.org
If I can continue to make people aware of the danger from these tanning beds, it's ok. It's ok for you to know that I've got possible Melanoma Cancer on my bum!
Before you think about tanning again, think about me and my scars, my family dealing with me and my cancer, an uncertain future and think about me having yet another piece of my body being cut out!!
PLEASE BELIEVE ME when I say with all sincerity and experience that there is SO much more to this life than being TAN!
An oncologist is a doctor who deals with cancer. Oncology is concerned with the diagnosis of any cancer, therapy, care throughout the disease, screening and everything in between. It's a field of medical care that takes a special person.
Mom, Katie and I went into the office and it was warm and felt like a home! The staff was so sweet and they welcomed us all with smiles and a lot of care in their eyes.
Mom and Katie were watching Kathy Lee and Hoda while I was filling out the paper work and enjoying their living room setting and trying to relax on their couch. I was waiting for Erin and in through the door she came. Erin took time from work to come and be by my side.
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| Erin & Heather Dec 2013 |
gildasclubqc.org/
I go back to Dr. Constantinou on July 23rd. I've been so blessed with good news!!!
So why don't I feel so free?
I'm in this weird place between battling this diagnosis, 3 surgeries, 3 biopsies, the fears during the waiting, the never ending adjustments of what this new life is, enduring blood work, injections, IV's, CT scans, and X-rays.
It seems as quickly as this thing has started, it's coming to an end.
I'm not disappointed in any way that I may be coming close to the end of my battle and the happiness of the cancer not spreading, but I'm still trying to catch up emotionally and physically.
I'm trusting God to continue to see me through, because he's my stability and His word is true.
"Trust in The Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6
I know that where I am physically and mentally, I won't stay at forever. Through this I will continue to keep my eyes focused on him and know that he will guide me through as he always does.
"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. The life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20
June 25th
My dermatology appointment was ok. If you have ever been to a dermatologist for a full body check, you come out with no sense of modesty anymore. After the poking, writing on his diagram, checking every crevice on my body, he said I have to come back in 4 weeks. He was nice and said he wanted to wait for me to continue to heal from my surgeries before he does more biopsies! WAIT, What? More biopsies?? Unfortunately, yes! There are a few spots that are questionable and need to be tested! Sigh.....
I have to tell you though, that the visit really continued to open my eyes about the tanning bed and that the tanning bed being that cause of my MELANOMA CANCER. YES,
TANNING BEDS=SKIN CANCER!!
Do I have evidence to run my mouth about this? Yes, absolutely! The places that Dr. Kumar found are located on my rear end! I thought a lot about sharing this piece of personal information but I feel like I need too. There has been no sun exposure to that area (No worries of me laying out in the nude to those who were concerned!) but a lot of ultraviolet exposure from years of me laying in the tanning beds.
In July, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a working group of the World Health Organization, added ultraviolet (UV) radiation-emitting tanning devices - tanning beds and lamps - to the list of the most dangerous forms of cancer-causing radiation. It joins an assembly of hazardous substances including plutonium and certain types of radium, as well as radiation from the sun. www.skincancer.org
If I can continue to make people aware of the danger from these tanning beds, it's ok. It's ok for you to know that I've got possible Melanoma Cancer on my bum!
Before you think about tanning again, think about me and my scars, my family dealing with me and my cancer, an uncertain future and think about me having yet another piece of my body being cut out!!
PLEASE BELIEVE ME when I say with all sincerity and experience that there is SO much more to this life than being TAN!
Such a small world!!! My neighbor was just telling me about her family last week, and she mentioned that her grandchildren would be home for Christmas, because their mother(her ex-daughter in law) has family here. Dr. Costas is her grandchildrens' uncle!!!! How crazy is that!? She was trying to tell me his first & last name, because it was so hard to pronounce, so I distinctly remember it!
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