Scott Smith
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- Joined
- Sep 5, 2002
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Well I certainly have not been here as much as in the past. I see there are alot of new members, or else a bunch of members have changed their names.
I thought I would stop in for a few, and update those of you who recall on my health (stage 1 melanoma excised from forehead). For those of you who recall, a stage 1 is recoverable for 95% of the patients diagnosed. Mine was excised completely. All tests came back negative, including a PetScan which shows any and all cancer and its locations in your body. Since early December, I have had numerous x-rays, a bone scan, 2 CAT scans and 2 MRI's of my head and neck as well as the full body PetScan which is a combination of a CAT scan and P.E.T. scan, where you are injected with a serum which goes directly and only to cancer cells in your body. When the CAT scan is overlayed with the PET scan, the cancer will show up as red areas in your body. Like I said, none was found in me. I recieved that news back in early January, and must continue to follow up with my Oncologist for a period of time. And obviously visit my dermotoligist every 6 months for the rest of my life.
But, as often happens with visits to the Doc for one ailment, another is oftentimes uncovered. While going through the cancer screenings via the scans, a suspicious area was located inside my brain on the right side of my head. Cancer has obviously been ruled out. I'm currently seeing a neurologist, her opinion varies on what she is seeing. She refers to the area as "an area of abnormal brain tissue, that is not currently acute," meaning that it is not currently active(bleeding, spreading ect.). Based on what she see's, I should be having some obvious neurological symptoms if it was some sort of infection, virus or disease. However, I have passed all her nuerological tests and am completely absent of any symptoms. Therefore she is beginning to lean toward it being something I've always had (I have no other baseline than my current scans). Or possibly an old injury where I suffered a concussion (based on many years of playing football and wrestling this is a distinct possibility, as I did suffer several minor concussions during my playing days). Currently she is leaving my head alone and does not feel a spinal tap is in order at this time since it's not acute and I'm having no symptoms, my last MRI was in late January and it showed no change from early December, I am to have my next MRI in August (or earlier if I began having nuero problems). If things have not changed by then, it is her opinion that nothing is going on in my melon.
So that's been my winter in a nutshell. Pretty darn stressful and scary for my wife and I. We are carrying on and trying not to think about what's going on in my melon, if anything. My wife has been a saint throughout this whole ordeal, I really have no way to repay the support she has given to me. I'm definately looking forward to spring and getting out on the water, just went to BPS yesterday and restocked. I've signed up my daughter and I for the NBAA circuit and we will be fishing one of the monday night divisions starting in June. She's excited to be fishing with her Pops, but I think I'm more excited to have her taggin along. Life is Good.
See Ya.....Smitty
I thought I would stop in for a few, and update those of you who recall on my health (stage 1 melanoma excised from forehead). For those of you who recall, a stage 1 is recoverable for 95% of the patients diagnosed. Mine was excised completely. All tests came back negative, including a PetScan which shows any and all cancer and its locations in your body. Since early December, I have had numerous x-rays, a bone scan, 2 CAT scans and 2 MRI's of my head and neck as well as the full body PetScan which is a combination of a CAT scan and P.E.T. scan, where you are injected with a serum which goes directly and only to cancer cells in your body. When the CAT scan is overlayed with the PET scan, the cancer will show up as red areas in your body. Like I said, none was found in me. I recieved that news back in early January, and must continue to follow up with my Oncologist for a period of time. And obviously visit my dermotoligist every 6 months for the rest of my life.
But, as often happens with visits to the Doc for one ailment, another is oftentimes uncovered. While going through the cancer screenings via the scans, a suspicious area was located inside my brain on the right side of my head. Cancer has obviously been ruled out. I'm currently seeing a neurologist, her opinion varies on what she is seeing. She refers to the area as "an area of abnormal brain tissue, that is not currently acute," meaning that it is not currently active(bleeding, spreading ect.). Based on what she see's, I should be having some obvious neurological symptoms if it was some sort of infection, virus or disease. However, I have passed all her nuerological tests and am completely absent of any symptoms. Therefore she is beginning to lean toward it being something I've always had (I have no other baseline than my current scans). Or possibly an old injury where I suffered a concussion (based on many years of playing football and wrestling this is a distinct possibility, as I did suffer several minor concussions during my playing days). Currently she is leaving my head alone and does not feel a spinal tap is in order at this time since it's not acute and I'm having no symptoms, my last MRI was in late January and it showed no change from early December, I am to have my next MRI in August (or earlier if I began having nuero problems). If things have not changed by then, it is her opinion that nothing is going on in my melon.
So that's been my winter in a nutshell. Pretty darn stressful and scary for my wife and I. We are carrying on and trying not to think about what's going on in my melon, if anything. My wife has been a saint throughout this whole ordeal, I really have no way to repay the support she has given to me. I'm definately looking forward to spring and getting out on the water, just went to BPS yesterday and restocked. I've signed up my daughter and I for the NBAA circuit and we will be fishing one of the monday night divisions starting in June. She's excited to be fishing with her Pops, but I think I'm more excited to have her taggin along. Life is Good.
See Ya.....Smitty
