My Scalp Is A Worrywart

A couple weeks ago I was prepping for my last post op appointment with my oncologist. My list of questions were: 1.My largest wound opened up again. Is it infected?  2.I was invited to be in a melanoma study in Pennsylvania. Does she have any reservations about me participating?  3.The third surgery was much less invasive than the first two. How do we know we got all the cancer?


Thankfully she didn't think things looked infected again but said my scars were not going to be pretty. That was obvious. I'm just glad the majority of them are on my back. I only have to see them when I choose to. The biopsy they did on my face was the easiest to heal and the least noticeable. That was a gift.


When I told her about the research study she was excited for me to get involved. She had just read about it and didn't think there were any negative aspects to consider. How could freeze-dried broccoli sprout powder hurt?


Then on to question number three. Because my back was such a mess after the first two surgeries, my dermatologist just scraped off some tissue around the site of the latest biopsy that had come back showing cancer cells. He didn't think my back could handle anything more aggressive. So my oncologist went to the computer to see if I had already had a specific blood test. I had not so she said, "For peace of mind, let's run an LDH and a few other levels. Normal results will assure us that the cancer has not spread to any other organ." So off to the lab I went. The phlebotomist got me on the first poke!! She told me to expect the results in three to five days. The next day I got a call. My levels came back too high.


She decided she wants to wait four weeks and rerun the test. So now I wait for the 23rd when I can go back to the lab. I have tried very hard not to worry. My mantra has been not to worry until I know I have something to worry about. But tell that to my hair! It has been falling out in clumps. I went for a haircut yesterday and my stylist asked what was up. She said I have about half as much hair as last month. There is only so far you can push the concern I guess.


I just heard the new Taylor Swift song today. The chorus is "Are we out of the woods yet? Are we in the clear yet?" I have been listening to it on repeat all day. I hope to hear a resounding YES soon. But for now I wait and hope and pray. I thought it was time to ask you all to do the same.