When Dr. Curti announced that the CT scan of July 10th is showing continuing regression of melanoma tumors in my chest, I was surprised and greatly relieved.
I tend to subjectively gauge my progress based on body sensations, especially pain and energy level. Since I have chest pain almost every day, and I often feel tired, it’s tempting to become suspicious that my body is losing the fight against cancer.
Progress in the treatment of cancer doesn’t always feel good. As my Doctor has patiently explained, in my particular case, chest pain can come from causes that do NOT signal progression of cancer. One way to think of this is: Tumors in my chest grew outward from lymph nodes in the mediastinum and attached to surrounding tissues. As my immune system dismantles these tumors, scar and necrotic tissues tend to remain for awhile as the process continues. This extra tissue binds surrounding tissues and organs, causing some inflammation and soreness.
On a positive note, my pain responds well to ibuprofen and tylenol, as it has for several months. This continuing response to lightweight pain meds supports the notion that the cause of my pain is not growing tumors.
It’s a happy day here in Portland and we are celebrating this good news.