Journal entry by DJ Scholtes —
It's been a long time since my last update! After my first treatment things became fairly routine (treatment, consults, dermatologist check-ups, etc). So I didn't post much.
Now I have updates worth sharing :)
First, I had my second round of PET scans yesterday (January 8th, 2019) to check for metastatic Melanoma. I'm VERY happy to report that my scan came back clean! I'm still clear or Melanoma!
Second, the treatment I'm on had caused some complications over the last several weeks. On November 12th I reported having stomach pains, mostly a strong burning sensation. We discovered this was due to treatment related Gastritis (stomach was overproducing acid). This was taken care of with a medication called Protonix (which I'm still taking). This has helped greatly.
On November 27th I had my third round of treatment, and shortly after that day I began feeling some abdominal pains. I thought it was my Protonix wearing off, so I doubled the dosage according to my doctor's instruction. About midway through December, the stomach pains were still present, but I was able to tolerate them with a regiment of Tylenol and Ibuprofen, and eating soft foods.
On December 25th, Jomarie and I left for Los Cabos, Mexico for her sister's wedding. It was at this time when my stomach pains grew to the point of excessive and intolerable. I experience severe cramping in my upper abdomen and mid back, and the pain was augment whenever I ate or drank anything. I never ran a fever, but I often felt nauseated and warm.
When we returned home I immediately called my doctor and went in for a check-up on January 4th. They ran a CT scan and discovered I was suffering from treatment related Pancreatitis. Basically, my Pancreas was inflamed and overworking, which is not good. My doctor put me on Prednisone (steroid) and Tramadol (pain killer), to bring my Pnacreas back to normalcy.
Because of the Pancreatitis my doctor will be tracking my blood sugar levels over the next few months to make sure the treatment didn't damage the Pancreas and cause Insulin producing problems. We are also evaluating the best route for moving forward with the treatment.
Phew, that's a lot of info all at once! So, all this to say that I'm feeling good today! I'm confident we'll be able to move forward with treatment after some time of healing.
My next evaluation is February 5th. This will be the time I know more about how we're going to proceed!
Thanks for the prayers and well wishes! I'll keep you all posted on more of this crazy ride!
Now I have updates worth sharing :)
First, I had my second round of PET scans yesterday (January 8th, 2019) to check for metastatic Melanoma. I'm VERY happy to report that my scan came back clean! I'm still clear or Melanoma!
Second, the treatment I'm on had caused some complications over the last several weeks. On November 12th I reported having stomach pains, mostly a strong burning sensation. We discovered this was due to treatment related Gastritis (stomach was overproducing acid). This was taken care of with a medication called Protonix (which I'm still taking). This has helped greatly.
On November 27th I had my third round of treatment, and shortly after that day I began feeling some abdominal pains. I thought it was my Protonix wearing off, so I doubled the dosage according to my doctor's instruction. About midway through December, the stomach pains were still present, but I was able to tolerate them with a regiment of Tylenol and Ibuprofen, and eating soft foods.
On December 25th, Jomarie and I left for Los Cabos, Mexico for her sister's wedding. It was at this time when my stomach pains grew to the point of excessive and intolerable. I experience severe cramping in my upper abdomen and mid back, and the pain was augment whenever I ate or drank anything. I never ran a fever, but I often felt nauseated and warm.
When we returned home I immediately called my doctor and went in for a check-up on January 4th. They ran a CT scan and discovered I was suffering from treatment related Pancreatitis. Basically, my Pancreas was inflamed and overworking, which is not good. My doctor put me on Prednisone (steroid) and Tramadol (pain killer), to bring my Pnacreas back to normalcy.
Because of the Pancreatitis my doctor will be tracking my blood sugar levels over the next few months to make sure the treatment didn't damage the Pancreas and cause Insulin producing problems. We are also evaluating the best route for moving forward with the treatment.
Phew, that's a lot of info all at once! So, all this to say that I'm feeling good today! I'm confident we'll be able to move forward with treatment after some time of healing.
My next evaluation is February 5th. This will be the time I know more about how we're going to proceed!
Thanks for the prayers and well wishes! I'll keep you all posted on more of this crazy ride!
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