Six more months and still in remission

I got the all clear six month check up news this week. The CAT scans were all negative and the blood work looked good. No lumps or bumps detected. So I've been clear for a year now. My next checkup is in another six months.

My very favorite season, summertime, hasn't been quite as much fun this year since I was very diligent avoiding the sun. I do miss napping on a float in the pool, but have to also say in the same breath that I'd rather give that up and still be alive to enjoy a sunny day. I had my fun in the sun, and now I've got to play it safe. I wish I had been smart enough to play it safe a lot sooner.

"Healthy tan" is an oxymoron. Co-workers who know my cancer story look at me with guilt and make up excuses when they come in to work on a Monday with their skin yet another shade darker. "I was careful not to burn." "I used sunblock." Whatever. I'm not trying to lay a guilt trip on anyone. After all, I was the one who was not careful enough not to burn, and hardly ever used sunblock. I really don't want to hear excuses either - it's their life and they'll only understand if and when they have to deal with skin cancer. I hope they never do.

Good Checkup News

My oncologist visit today was the culmination of a round of doctor visits over the past month: mammogram, pap smear, dermatologist, surgeon, CT scan, and finally blood work. All provided good reports with negative results. While the dermatologist wants to see me again in 3 months, I'm off the hook with the surgeon and oncologist (and CT scan/blood work) for 6 months - that's August! Woo hoo!!

Looking back and forward

It seems as though the start of the new year is a good time to reflect on the past year and to plan for the future. Last year was quite the roller coaster for me with quite a few highs and lows. The lows are all related to the melanoma diagnosis and treatment, with most of the highs related to the birth of our first grandchild.

Looking back, it has been just slightly over one year since my diagnosis and only six months since the end of the interferon treatments. I'm due for another round of scans in February. In the meantime, I'm working hard on continuing to lose weight (25 lbs. lighter at the moment) and will begin this week to prepare for running my first 5K this spring. While the melanoma cloud continues to hang around my head, I try to keep my worries to a minimum and remain optimistic. Certainly, a good report next month will help immensely. Eating right, exercising, putting aside time for myself, my family, and my friends, and spending more time outside are all good and attainable resolutions for me for this new year. While I can't make being cancer-free a resolution, I can believe that it's an attainable reality and hope that becoming healthier and physically fit will help. Here's to continued good health for all!