Metastatic Melanoma and need a miracle!

sodapop

Thanks Brainman, that's sounds very interesting. I've never heard of it.

I wonder why they chose that path for metastatic melanoma? Who knows, I guess every patient is different and also, every Oncologists is different as well. Maybe most of the mets were in the liver or something.

Anyway, I just got done having my delayed Thanksgiving dinner, it was awesome. Now I'm having a piece of pumpkin pie, got to love it.

I leave tomorrow for another week of WBRT and a dose of chemo on Wednesday. I wasn't able to get my chemo last week due to my platelet count being to low, 55,000, but I did get a nice red blood cell transfusion which made me feel much better. I think my hemoglobin was at 8.2, not very good but it's been lower.
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Can miracles happen?

http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=7254

Sodapop--aka "the survivor"!

brainman

sodapop, you are in my thoughts and prayer. Have a safe trip.

55,000 is low but not too low. My father lived with platelets below that for may months. He needed platelet transfusions every other week for most of that time.
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Jim
Site Administrator and long-term cancer survivor
1992 Astrocytoma grade 2, left motor strip
2005 Recurrence this time said to be an Oligodendoglioma grade 3, same location.
My Story Part 1: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=7350
My Story Part 2: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=8029
Blog http://jimhawkinsport.blogspot.com/

sodapop

Yeah, I just got to make sure not to cut myself or something Confused

I've never had a Platelet Transfusion. They just make me come back the next week for the chemo and let my body do it naturally I guess. I will probably be in the upper 70,000 range next week, which is what happened last treatment when I went back the next week. They allowed me to get my Chemo at that level.

A couple of treatments ago, my hemoglobin was a 7.1, that is low low, I felt like crap. When i would stand up, I would get a huge rush to my head and my heart would start pounding. Those Red Blood Cell transfusions are great, they make you feel like a new man Wink

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Can miracles happen?

http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=7254

Sodapop--aka "the survivor"!

kirst · New User Joined: 24 Nov 2007 Posts: 6 Location: australia

Radiowave therapy is a treatment using434MHz Ultra High Frequency radiowaves in conjuction with a glycolytic metabolic inhibitor injected intranvenouusly prior to the UHF he has had great results with all types of cancer but i was not sent to him by my oncologist it was something i wanted to try as there are very little side effects

sodapop

Thanks Kirst,

Was it targeted to a certain met site or organ, or was it intended to hit the whole body?
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Sodapop--aka "the survivor"!

kirst · New User Joined: 24 Nov 2007 Posts: 6 Location: australia

yeah the whole body...and the treatment itself was easy i got a bit tired in the first week but after that good

sodapop

Thanks for the info.
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Can miracles happen?

http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=7254

Sodapop--aka "the survivor"!

brainman

Here is a link to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in LA (California not Alabama) about RAF.

http://www.cedars-sinai.edu/10778.html
_________________
Jim
Site Administrator and long-term cancer survivor
1992 Astrocytoma grade 2, left motor strip
2005 Recurrence this time said to be an Oligodendoglioma grade 3, same location.
My Story Part 1: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=7350
My Story Part 2: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=8029
Blog http://jimhawkinsport.blogspot.com/

kirst · New User Joined: 24 Nov 2007 Posts: 6 Location: australia

hi brainman
just checked out that site that not what i had

sodapop

Ok, it's time for a Sodapop update! Very Happy

Dec 26th visit to the hospital:

Started off the day with some CT-Scans of my chest, abdomen and pelvic regions. I was really nervous on getting the results and was stressing all week.

After scans, I went to the infusion center to get my port hooked up for my 11 dose of chemo and some blood drawn.

Went to meet with my Dr. after to go over all the results. My palms were sweaty to say the least, just the way I am. Worry maniac, Laughing

So, the Dr. comes in and we start out by going over my blood results. Results not so good, I was anemic, which is pretty usual for me after all this chemo and the WBRT. My Red Blood count was 7.4, yikes, no wonder I didn't feel so good, and my Platelets were at 68,000, so no chemo this time. I have to come back next week. This time I will get much needed Blood Transfusion, awwhh, they feel good.

Now, for the good stuff, my scan results:

The last few treatments of chemo have held my disease stable in most areas and a little improvement in the adrenal gland. Well, not this time. My Dr. was completely shocked to say the least at the results this time. We were planning on stopping soon, since it was just holding stable, and then going to the clinical trial. Now, things have changed, haha.

Improvement everywhere I have the disease and complete disappearance in some areas. This doesn't happen very often, from what I 've learned, especially on chemo and considering it was just holding stable the last few doses.

This is some of the report I got:

Findings:

In the chest, lung windows show a decrease in the number of pulmonary nodules as well as the size of pulmonary nodules. For example, in the right upper lobe, a pulmonary nodule currently measures 2.4 * 1.2 cm previously measuring 2.7 * 1.5 cm. A pulmonary nodule in the lingula currently measures 8 * 6 mm previously measuring 12 *10 mm. Mediastinal adenopathy has decreased as well. For example, a subcarinal lymph node mass currently measures 3.2 * 2.1 cm--biggest one I have--previously measuring 3.6 * 2.7 cm.

In the abdomen, liver lesions have decreased in size. For example, in the hepatic segment 7, a liver lesion currently measuring 16 * 13 mm previously measuring 20 * 16 mm. Other liver lesions have decreased in size. Other improved findings include RESOLVED LEFT ADRENAL METASTASIS. Multiple peritoneal implants have decreased in size. For example, a LARGE MASS in the sub-hepatic space SEEN PREVIOUSLY is NO LONGER IDENTIFIED!!!!!

Majority of peritoneal implants are MUCH IMPROVED. There are no focal lesions in the spleen, right adrenal gland, bilateral kidneys, or pancreas. There is no free fluid in the abdomen.

Sorry for the long post, but I'm so pumped on this you don't understand. My disease has been shrinking for awhile but went stable the last few doses, now it's shrinking again. My Dr. was really impressed with the results, and quite shocked to say the least. I told him it's because I'm sodapop aka the survivor and miracles do happen, lmao!

Ok, that's my update, it's long but worth it.

Thanks for reading. Wink

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Can miracles happen?

http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=7254

Sodapop--aka "the survivor"!

kirst · New User Joined: 24 Nov 2007 Posts: 6 Location: australia

hi sodapop
That is great news im so happy for Very Happy

i hope it just keeps getting better every day for you......

In

So the Alliens are leaving. Yayaya

Good for you!!!!!!. This is great news, and ok for a long post to share Wink

I couldn't think this could happen to a nicer person. Wink

Enjoy the elated feeling, and celebrate- we need all the excuses we can Razz

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Thinking of you Inica

*Administrator*

~Nose Cancer~
~Car Accident- Broken Back, Ribs, Spleen
Sternum~
~Continous Cervical Cancer~

My Story-
http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=6731

Smile

9 Lives and still kicking Smile

sodapop

Thanks Kirst and In! I really appreciate it.

And Yes, these dang Aliens are getting there butts kicked! Wink

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Can miracles happen?

http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=7254

Sodapop--aka "the survivor"!

rubytuesday · New User Joined: 30 Dec 2007 Posts: 7 Location: Ontario

hey sodapop,
very inspiring to read your posts. I'm new, have melanoma (haven't been staged yet etc) I come from a family where its faster to tell the dr what kind s of cancers we don't get..
Anyway, 3 or 4 members (from both sides) have had melanoma. My aunt was abt 40 when she was diagnosed. She went through some miserable chemo and within a year had multiple new lesions. These were all removed along with regional nodes but the horse was out of the barn. She was told to go home and get her affairs in order-which she did. Over the next 6 months she became increasingly short of breath -she had a spleen full of mets and it had grown so large it was down around her groin and making breathing (and everything else)difficult. She had been back to the oncologists a few time but they refused to do surgery -worried that the melanoma would be widely disseminated if they opened her up. Long story short-she finally demanded the surgery-she couldn't breathe because of the increased abdominal pressure. When they removed her spleen, she felt 100% better right away. She then went on to defy all odds and went into spontaneous remission. That was 25 years ago.. So, melanoma is one of those wierd ones. Who knows why and how it can behave that way but it can. All that to say that yes, miracles do happen. So keep the faith and fight back.

RT

sodapop

Wow, Ruby, that's an amazing story. I hope your staging comes back well.

Did your mom have metastic melanoma or was it just in her spleen? Your story inspires me even more, I really appreciate it.

Surgery was not an option for me when I first started but now that things are looking a lot better, maybe, or maybe I won't need it, who knows.

I wish you all the best.
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Can miracles happen?

http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=7254

Sodapop--aka "the survivor"!

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