Yay

One of my proudest accomplishments before Battle #2 with melanoma was that I could do almost 10 dead hang pull ups. I know that might seem silly, but physical strength does not come naturally to me (nor does coordination or speed) and for years I've worked really hard to become stronger. After having my lymph nodes under my left arm removed, pull ups seemed impossible. Then after radiation cooked and burned everything left under there, my range of motion is shot, along with my strength. It's been frustrating to start all over with certain exercises, but it's been coming along. Yesterday I decided to see if I could even hang from a bar - I can't raise my hand straight up, so I wasn't sure. Sure enough, I could do that, so I tried to do a negative pull up, where you jump up to the top of a pull up (chin near the bar) and then lower yourself down slowly, to build up strength to be able to pull yourself up. The last time I tried a negative, I couldn't hold myself up at all. This time, I had a lot more control and I did much better. It was a very happy milestone for me. 

Ever since I've gotten into fitness, I've noticed how working out, and the accomplishments that go along with it, transition into the rest of life. When you lift weights, you are tearing up your muscle fibers, and when they repair, they grow back stronger and bigger (if you're a woman, don't take that to mean that you'll get body builder big from lifting weights - there are exceptions, but you won't!). When life throws things at us, we might be torn down for a little bit, but then we come back stronger than before. In fitness, you don't know how strong you are until you're pushed to your limits. When you think you can't run a mile, or lift a certain amount of weight, and then you do, it's an amazing feeling and you feel like you can accomplish anything at that point. In life, when you feel like you just can't take any more sadness or heartache, but you do and you deal with it and you move forward, you realize that you can handle ANYTHING. One of my favorite bible verses is Philippians 4:13: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". True Story! Whatever obstacles you're facing in life - physical, emotional, mental, spiritual - you CAN overcome them.  Sure, we have limits. I'm not going to stand on top of the roof and jump off, thinking I'll be able to fly. But we have the ability to do so much more than we think. Physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. 

My little mini accomplishment in the gym yesterday was a reminder of how strong and resilient I really am. I haven't been through a fraction of what so many others have had to go through, but I've been through enough to know that I can handle whatever may come along. And, wherever you are, so can you. Sometimes it takes making a choice to not let the hardships define you, and it always takes some time, but you CAN and if you want to, WILL heal from anything that tears you down. Let go of your bitterness and sadness, and choose to learn and grow from the bad stuff! 

Borrowed from Chasing a Miracle

End of Melanoma Month

Today is the last day of melanoma month, and at some point I'll recap the facts etc that I shared throughout the month on Facebook. 

I'm at Mayo Clinic for a routine blood work checkup and I'm just reminded once again of how very blessed I am. First of all, the guy who drew blood is a pro! I've gotten used to being stuck, but I didn't even feel it this time! I have to wait a couple hours after having blood drawn before I see the NP Gena (who I adore!!), and usually I make myself comfortable in a recliner in the quiet section of the oncology waiting room. There are so many people in here that are so sick and obviously going through serious treatment and I am so fortunate to feel so good! A volunteer usually comes around to see if anyone needs pillows or blankets (Mayo is awesome) and it's pretty chilly and I'm dressed for summer so I asked for a blanket today. She commented on how much she loved my nail polish (Tiffany blue, thanks to my friend Melanie for giving it to me!) and covered me with the blanket and we talked for a few minutes and she left. It was nothing major but she was just so sweet and I love these random encounters I have with people here, I have at least one nice conversation with a stranger every time I'm here, no lie. 

Mayo Clinic shared another video by my oncologist! Here's the link: http://youtu.be/lcp65g892qs (for whatever reason, I can't embed videos in the blog). This one is about new melanoma therapies, one of which I am getting through a clinical trial. 

As melanoma month ends, I am reminded that melanoma awareness never ends for me and so many others. I encourage you to protect your skin, and go get it checked every year. I know it doesn't seem like a big deal to most people, but every day I read a story of someone going through difficult treatments, worrying about insurance claims and bills, or running out of options and planning for hospice. The caregivers and loved ones are heartbroken and it reminds me that our choices don't just affect us. So slather on the SPF and visit your dermatologist! 

Overview of Melanoma

Mayo Clinic shared a video on Facebook today by my oncologist, Dr. Joseph! It's pretty basic but informative about the stages of melanoma. Here's a link to the video:

The 4 Stages of Melanoma


I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I am SO thankful to be able to go to Mayo Clinic! Dr J, my clinical trial nurse Ann, and my NP Gena are all so wonderful and caring and supportive. I couldn't ask for a better medical team, and I am so lucky to have them 30 minutes away. So many people have to travel to get to a good cancer center and I'm glad that's one less thing I have to worry about! 

Have a great week, and don't forget to protect your skin, and watch those freckles and moles for changes - and if you see any, get to the dermatologist stat! :)

Don't Fry Day!

Well, so much for blogging more often for Melanoma Month right? I've gotten a little lazy with my posts on Facebook as well, it's hard to remember to post every day! 

Today, the Friday before Memorial Day, is designated "No Fry Day"by the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention. For most of us, Memorial Weekend is the official beginning of summer and many of us spend a lot of it in the sun, ending up sunburned. You know the rules: use sunscreen (and reapply every 2 hours!) and/or UV protective clothing, try to sit in the shade when you can, and be extra careful when around water, sand and snow - hopefully none of you are in snow, but with the crazy weather lately, who knows?? Just remember that tans and burns are damage to your skin, and you could pay dearly for that damage later on. 

Also remember this weekend that it's not about the beginning of summer, or a 3 day weekend, it's about honoring those who have lost their lives fighting for our country. It's hard to know what to say about that because I cannot even begin to imagine sacrificing my life - my literal "life", or my life as I know it, where I have A/C in the house and work for 8 hours then go home, where I can see my friends and family pretty much anytime I want, where I can hop in my Jeep and go grab a hamburger and fries whenever I'm hungry - all these things that I take for granted, a soldier and his or her family are going without. All I really know is, these men and women work way too hard for way too little compensation! They give up their time and talents and families and are willing to give up their lives if necessary, and they all deserve our respect and admiration. 

So have a happy and safe (and sunburn free!) Memorial Day Weekend, and be thankful for those who sacrifice for our freedom! 

Melanoma Month - Week 1

We're one week into Skin Cancer Awareness Month, which I have just renamed "Melanoma Month"! Every day on Facebook and sometimes Instagram, I've been posting facts about skin cancer and melanoma. I'm already wondering if people are tired of it, but then I remember that if I can read people's drama, complaints, boring details of their day, not to mention all the selfies and duck face pics, they can read my skin cancer facts - at least these could be life saving!

In case you missed it, here are my first 7 days of tips/facts about skin cancer/melanoma:

Day 1 - Melanoma can start anywhere, not just on your skin, and not just skin that sees the sun! It can start under your fingernails, in your eyes, in your mouth, and other orifices - there are melanoma survivors who never found their primary site. So in addition to checking your skin for suspicious moles, check fingernails for spots that don't grow with the nail, check the whites of your eyes for spots, and ask your dentist, optometrist, and OB/GYN to check for moles/spots etc. during your routine checkups.  

Day 2 - Darker skinned people can also get skin cancer, Bob Marley being the most famous example. It most often occurs on non exposed skin, under fingernails, or in mucous membranes. So check those areas and visit your dermatologist even if you are not pale and covered in freckles and moles!

*Bonus for Day 2 - I was at the hair salon and thought I'd remind everyone to have their hair stylist check for moles or spots on their scalp. My first dermatologist said that it's easier to check when they're washing your hair than having someone check your scalp when your hair is dry. 

Day 3 - There are many risk factors for melanoma and other skin cancers, and it's not just excessive tanning or burning. UV Radiation is a factor of course, but so is: 

Pale skin and/or light colored hair

Exposure to coal tar, pitch, creosote, arsenic compounds or radium

Family history of skin cancer

Multiple freckles/moles

Also, having one type of skin cancer (BCC, SCC, melanoma) can increase your risk for another type. (This information came from the American Cancer Society, through the Melanoma Prayer Center)

Day 4 - I shared another picture from the Melanoma Prayer Center showing how melanoma doesn't always look like a funky mole. It can look like a rash or burn - but it will grow instead of heal. I encourage you to Google pictures of what melanoma looks like, but probably not during lunch, because while a funky mole isn't that bad, advanced melanoma can be pretty horrific. 

I also shared that using tanning beds before the age of 35 increases your chances of melanoma by 75%!! That's especially scary because so many people tan, and when I was younger, it seems like all of my friends tanned in tanning beds at one time or another. This info is from skincancer.org. I know that plenty of people will continue to tan, despite the risks, so if you do, PLEASE get your skin checked by a dermatologist twice a year, and remember that a sunburn from a tanning bed is no safer than a sunburn from the sun! 

If I had at least went to the dermatologist sooner, maybe I wouldn't be visiting Mayo Clinic every 3-6-12 weeks, getting scans, bloodwork, and drug infusions. Maybe I'd still be able to do pull ups and plyo push ups and my range of motion wouldn't be completely screwed up from lymph node removal and radiation therapy. Just sayin!

Day 5 - Melanoma is not an "old people" disease. Melanoma has seen a huge increase in teenagers 15-19. I've talked about Jillian Hayes many times, she passed away at 23 years old from this disease. That is far too young! I know teenagers (and in my case, people in their 30's) think nothing bad can ever happen to them, but it's not true. We can't prevent bad things from happening, but we can try, and melanoma can be preventable!

Day 6 - Melanoma is one of the 3 types of cancer that can be passed to a child during pregnancy. Can you imagine how difficult that must be for an expectant mother?? It's yet another reminder that what we do affects more than just ourselves. Visit Addison's Army to learn more about melanoma's youngest warrior. 

Day 7 - Getting sunburned can DOUBLE your chances of melanoma! One blistering burn at a young age, or 5 sunburns at any age doubles your risk. Who has never been sunburned?! Growing up in Florida, I think it's almost a requirement, it's definitely normal. But we need to change that. Wear sunscreen and/or UV protective clothing, and avoid the sun when possible between 10am - 4pm. Stop letting yourself get burned, and protect your kids in the sun!

So, that's week 1! Love the skin you're in!

   

Good News/Skin Cancer Awareness Month

I had my scans last Thursday and Friday, and once again, I'm all clear! I had a lot less "scanxiety" this time, I just knew that everything was fine and I didn't stress. I had my 5th treatment of ipi and so far, still no side effects. 

Today is May 1st, and it marks the first day of Skin Cancer Awareness Month. A lot of those affected by melanoma prefer to think of it as Melanoma Awareness Month, and I kind of do too, but although melanoma is the worst, all types of skin cancer can be bad! At the very least, skin cancers require an excision, and depending on the depth and where it's located, this can be disfiguring, and of course, at its worst, skin cancer can cause death. In between, there's multiple surgeries, biopsies, radiation and drug treatment, etc. 

During the month of May, I'm going to try to post more often about different types of skin cancer and things about melanoma. I think it's great timing since it's the start of bathing suit season and I've already cringed at seeing posts on Facebook about being sunburned - and cringed at my own sunburn after being outside without enough sunscreen! So let's take care of our skin and ourselves this year!

Random Things

A few weeks ago, I mentioned having problems with lymphedema on my left side, which happens sometimes after lymph node removal and/or radiation, because the fluid that used to drain to those lymph nodes has no where to go. Mine was/is barely noticeable but sometimes it hurt and of course it bothered me and I definitely didn't want it to get worse. It took a few weeks to get in with a lymphedema specialist, but I finally went in last week. They showed me how to help push the fluid towards other lymph node sites, and I really feel like it's helping! My hand feels and looks much less "Stay-Puff Marshmellow Man-ish" :) and I haven't had pain and tenderness like I was before. Now to work more on range of motion!

In other good news, I've had knee issues since the first of the year, and I've been working on physical therapy for that, and finally on Monday I realized it hasn't been bothering me nearly as bad. I felt it a tiny tiny bit during spin last night (Tuesday) and this morning, but since it had been hurting just from bending and straightening my knee, it's a major improvement.

Next week I have scans and round 5 of treatment. It's been really nice to go 3 months without treatment or tons of doctor appointments! My insurance company denied authorization for a PET scan, which is required by the clinical trial, but my oncologist suggested we do a CT scan only and apparently this was ok with the trial and my insurance. I probably should know more about the difference between the two scans, but I don't, and my doctor said he'd appeal the insurance company's denial if he were even 1% concerned about not having the PET scan, so that's good enough for me. We can't blindly trust someone just because they've got MD behind their name, but I trust Dr J's judgement.

For some reason I don't understand (something to do with the contrast they use), since I have to get a CT scan of my neck and torso, that means I get to go on two different days to get them both done. The first day I'll do bloodwork and part of the CT (once again I have to sit around for a few hours in between without eating! If you know me, you know this is horrible news :) ). The second day I'll do the rest of the scan first thing in the morning, then see the doctor late morning for my results, which will be very good I'm sure, and then treatment after that. So that's a needle stick and 3 IV's in 2 days. Awesome. Super excited about that ;).

Ok well this short update has turned long, so I'm gonna stop now. Remember as we start celebrating spring and summer to put on your sunscreen, early and often! A tan is nice, but trips to the cancer center and chemo unit are NOT!