I've Come a Long Way Baby

Major thanks to everyone for all the continued prayers and good wishes.  I am getting stronger every day.  The five week respite I have had from all treatments and procedures has helped immensely.  I feel pretty good - mostly just fatigued.  When I fret about my physical limitations, the oncologist tells me I need to adjust to the "new normal" and understand it will take time before I can return to a 'pedal to the metal' pace again.  I have to keep reminding myself that it's only been two months since this whole crazy turn of events began.  After all, I did have a craniotomy, gamma knife radiation and not 1 but 2 lung biopsies.

A great deal of progress has been made.

•  The incision in my scalp is no longer painful, just a little uncomfortable.  Right now, I am experiencing nerve pain in the areas of my scalp where they peeled it back - but I am so glad the sensation is returning.  (You have no idea how weird it is to watch myself brush my hair and only be able to feel half of it.)  
• All the screw holes in my head from my gamma knife radiation treatment are healed.  The only scar I have is on the left side of my forehead at one of the spots where the frame was attached to my head for my craniotomy.  (This is offset by the 'free partial face lift' I received on the right side of my forehead as a result of the skin being pulled up to close my craniotomy incision).
• I am down to only 1 nap a day AND I can usually stay awake until 9 or 9:30 PM. This might not sound very impressive but it's a huge improvement. (So much for me being a 'night owl'.)
• I am completely drug free, and have not experienced any seizures. Long gone is the pharmacy and the drug tracking spreadsheet decorating the kitchen counter. 
• I am allowed not only to drive but to work in my yard a little for short periods of time. Keith & Melissa no longer need to hear me lament about how I hate feeling 'useless' and insisting that I don't need a babysitter.
• BELIEVE IT OR NOT, I START BACK TO WORK PART TIME NEXT WEEK.

And, I think I look pretty good too! If you did not know what happened to me in August, I honestly think you could never tell what I have been through. See for yourself how far I have come. This first picture depicts me a few days post craniotomy but pre-hair washing so I am still sporting my 'blood dreadlocks'.  You can't imagine how much effort it took to work the dark almost black red chunks at the roots out (huge thank you to Cathy, a woman who voluntarily washes patients' hair at Beaumont).

 The second picture is from a recent social event I attended - thank goodness for hair and makeup products! 

Keith and Melissa and I remain cautiously optimistic.  When we head back to Karmanos for our next round of appointments, we will be prepared for the worst but hoping for the best. On October 24th, I have my first brain, lung, abdominal and pelvic scans (these will happen every 90 days as a monitoring tool). We review results with the oncologist on 11/1 and the neurosurgeon on 11/7.

Hopefully, I will continue to be the exception to the rule for people with stage 4 melanoma.  First, it is a miracle that I did not have a brain hemorrhage or long term effects from the mass.  In addition, if the brain tumor turns out to be the primary source of cancer (so far the two spots they biopsied of the more than dozen they found on my lungs are not melanoma), I will be happy to be the statistical outlier that goes against all the norms.

Positive karma always welcome - keep sending it along!