6 months NED!!!!

Today is a bittersweet day for our family.  We found out this morning that one of our sweet melanoma friends lost her husband last night to melanoma after a long, hard battle.  Our melanoma family is a very tight knit community and every loss is like losing a family member....so heartbreaking. Today is also 6 months since Steve was given the news that he is NED.  Like I said, a bittersweet day, indeed.

Here is a picture of Melissa, Jeff and their precious babies....RIP Jeff.

Steve was diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic melanoma in January of 2012.  At that time, he was given 6-9 months to live (this is the typical response from most doctors to melanoma patients when diagnosed).  Can you imagine at age 34 being told you were going to die?  Can you imagine at age 32 being told you are going to be a widow and single mom of 2?  I will never forget that day.  That moment.  After the general oncologist gave us the news, she walked out to give us some time alone.  We held each other and cried and cried and cried.  I spent at least a week crying.

After the initial shock wore off, I threw myself into melanoma research.  I read about melanoma, treatments, trials, read blogs, etc., every waking minute.  In February of 2012, Steve started a grueling round of biochemo at MD Anderson.  Following biochemo, Steve had a major, invasive surgery to remove an adrenal gland and large tumor that was attached to the adrenal gland and intertwined with the vena cava.  After recovering from surgery, Steve was treated with Zelboraf.  After experiencing debilitating side effects and being admitted to the hospital for 11 days with a mystery infection/illness, Steve was taken off of Zelboraf.  The next treatment Steve did was Yervoy (Ipilimumab).  Yervoy is 4 rounds of 90 minute infusions taken once every 3 weeks as outpatient.  Steve did very well on Yervoy.  He had little to no side effects.  And on September 16th, 2013 we got official word that Yervoy did it's job.  Steve is NED!

As we celebrate 6 months, NED, we have to be realistic to the fact that melanoma is a BEAST!  Melanoma can come back at any time.  We are thankful for the "normal" life we have been able to live the last 6-9 months.  During this time, we sold our home and built a new home.  We moved into our new home about 2 months ago.  We did not plan on building a new home for at least 5 more years, but we know we are on borrowed time and need to do anything and everything we want to do while we have the opportunity.

Steve's next scans are on March 30th with results the following day, March 31st.  We hope the results continue to show NED, but are always prepared to hear we need to fight again.  And if needed, that is exactly what we will do....fight again.  "Fall down 7 times, Stand up 8"

1 year Cancerversary!!

What is a "cancerversary"?  It means so many different things for so many different people.  Some people use it as the anniversary of hearing the words every warrior wants to hear "NO EVIDENCE OF DISEASE" (NED), some people use it as the anniversary of hearing the words no one wants to hear "You have cancer", some people use surgery dates, it is a little different for everyone.

Well, today is Steve's "CANCERVERSARY"!!  One year ago today, Steve had a fine needle biopsy that later confirmed metastatic melanoma.  Later it was confirmed even further that it was Stage IV melanoma.  Survival rates for Stage IV melanoma are grim.  Many reports state less than one year.  When Steve and I were told, we both sobbed.  How could this be?  Why?  This can't be happening?!  So many thoughts raced through our minds.

Over the last year, Steve has had a grueling round of biochemo which entailed him being hospitalized for a week every 3 weeks, a major surgery (and hospitalization) to remove his right adrenal gland and the adrenal tumor attached to it, he has taken Zelboraf (with horrible side effects), he was hospitalized with a very serious virus for 11 days, he had numerous blood transfusions, platelet transfusions, and most recently has started a new drug (Yervoy).  Today Steve went back into the office for the first time in several months.  How fitting that he was able to return to work on his 1 year "Cancerversary".

I am so proud of Steve.  He has had many ups and downs over the past year.  But, he is still here fighting.  The melanoma that he started with last year is the same melanoma he currently has (minus the adrenal gland).  We would have loved to have him NED, but everyone is different and you just have to find the right medication while beating the clock.  Steve's current medication is a 90 minute infusion every 3 weeks for 4 rounds.  Then 4 weeks after the last round he will have scans.  That is a total of FOUR months before we know if the current treatment is working or not.  That is a long time to wait.  But, like I try and remind Steve every day, he is fighting to live......so we are living!  We may not be living the same life we were a year ago, but we are living.

We still find the time and energy to celebrate holidays and birthdays with family.  We attended MD Andersons Moon Shots Announcement.  We still try and squeeze in some dinner dates with friends.  We were able to take the kiddos on a mini vacation this summer.  Steve and I were able to celebrate our 6th wedding anniversary in New Orleans and go to our first Saints game.  Steve and I have been to the casino's a few times during the last year.  We had poker at our house once over the last year.  We were able to take the kids looking at Christmas lights.  Sure, there is plenty we wanted to do but couldn't, but we are still living.  Steve is still fighting. 

In 3 1/2 months, if we find out that this current treatment is not working, we will move on to the next one.  I eat, sleep and breathe melanoma and have the next two treatments lined up if needed.  We are lucky that there is so much research and advancement going on in the melanoma world.  There is still a long, long, long way to go.  But, they are so much further along than even a couple of years ago.

Thank you to everyone who has been there for us over the past year, we sincerely appreciate EVERYTHING and EVERYONE!