Hope for Ocular Malignant Melanoma Diagnosis

Several years ago, my mom went for a regular eye checkup. She needed new glasses. Upon examination, her eye doctor said he saw what appeared to be a "freckle" on her retina, and advised that she make an appointment with a retina specialist in town. The retina specialist gave a thorough exam, and immediately referred her to the best eye specialists in the country (at the Philadelphia Eye Institute), because he said she had malignant ocular melanoma. Well, any diagnosis using the words "malignant" and "melanoma" is scary to say the least! Never having heard of such a diagnosis, I immediately set out to research this on the Internet. Every website I found (personal and professional) offered very dire information. The majority of personal websites (this was before blogging became popular) were basically websites in memory of a loved one who had died after a short journey with ocular melanoma. I told Mom, "Don't research this on the Internet until you talk to the specialists!"

Very long story made short: Mom received treatment for the melanoma. The specialists placed a tiny piece of radioactive plaque right onto the tumor itself for a short period of time. Although a recuperation period was inevitable, Mom did very well. Her tumor shrunk (and has continued to shrink . . . the specialists say this is excellent---they didn't want the tumor to shrink too quickly or too slowly). She has continued to travel to Philadelphia for a regular check up. Her latest checkup was Wednesday, and everything continues to look fine! (several years later).

The retina specialist and the specialists in Philadelphia told Mom that every detail was so "lucky." (We're people of faith, and we prefer to see it as God's plan for this situation--I don't believe in "luck.") Many people do not get a diagnosis until the melanoma has advanced far worse than Mom's little "freckle" on the retina. We were "lucky" that Mom went in for a regular eye exam when she did. We were "lucky" that the retina specialist was well acquainted with the experts at the Philadelphia Eye Institute, who had written books and are still on the cutting edge of treating ocular melanoma. We were "lucky" that my parents live within three hours of Philadelphia and not across the country.

As an extended family, we were sitting around the dinner table weeks ago, and talking about Mom's ocular melanoma, and I was telling everyone about the Internet research that offered no hope at all. I was saying "Someone needs to put information out there that offers hope---telling stories of people who have survived and thrived after such a diagnosis. The general consensus at the table was that maybe I should do that! While I don't really have enough time or information to do a blog or website entirely about hope after a diagnosis of malignant ocular melanoma, I can at least tell the short version of the story in this blog, and hope that interested people will be able to find it. There is HOPE! Ocular melanoma is not necessarily a death sentence.

Happy New Year!

First blog post of 2008! I finally feel rested up after an exhausting month of December! So many things going on, and almost too many things for which I was responsible. There were times right before Christmas when I thought I should probably get some sleep, but I had too much adrenaline, and couldn't rest. Christmas was different this year, since Mom ended up going to the local emergency room for some intestinal problems. At least she didn't need surgery, as some of us were thinking she might, and she's much better now! Tracey and Donna and I (along with help from hubbies and kids) were able to get Christmas dinner together and on the table, and we tried to be good hosts to the various relatives who came by. Mom said later that she was feeling so badly that she actually didn't even worry about any of the details taking place (she left for the ER after Christmas Dinner was over), or whether we got everything accomplished. She said later that we did a fine job, but we told her we didn't want to do TOO good of a job without her!

I need to change some things next year (although right now I don't know quite what!). I just didn't feel in the right spirit for Christmas, and I wasn't in the right mood to truly celebrate Jesus--the Reason for the Season. Realizing and acknowledging that fact is the first step towards making some changes.

One good thing I was able to do this Christmas break was to convince some adults to create a Facebook page! I had set up an account several months ago, and at the time, I really wasn't sure what I was going to do with it. But Abby opened an account (I decided to get more involved so that we could learn the ropes together!), and as I developed my page and added more stuff, and explored some pages of people (and some applications that can be added), I realized that Facebook needs more adults, and more of a Christian presence. As my sister-in-law says---it provides accountability for our young teens and adults, knowing that their parents/aunts/uncles are also on-line. I like the networking aspect, and the fact that I can be in touch with nephews and nieces and let them know I'm thinking about them, and being a little more involved in their lives, even though we live a distance away. It's also been fun to connect with some college friends from the past.

Enough "chatting" here for tonight . . . I need to finish this and start my chat letter to family and friends. I skipped last week (I was on vacation!), but I need to get back into routine this week!

This is why we love our mechanic, . . . .

Our mechanic is definitely not the "warm, touchy-feeling" type of guy (he's a MECHANIC!) :o) But I just have to say that we've built up a relationship with him over the past two decades, and I've really come to like and trust him. Scott usually talks to him the most, but I usually go pay for the repairs in the afternoons (he closes his shop right when Scott is getting out of work, and we don't like him to have to wait on us before he can go home!).

Anyway, we just had to have the "strut mount" replaced on the one side of our van. It was making an awful noise when we would turn the steering wheel (especially when it was damp and cold). So our mechanic replaced that, and as I was chatting with him while I wrote out the check, I told him that Abby and I would be so very glad not to hear that noise when we drive, because it just didn't sound good. I told him I know NOTHING about cars and mechanical stuff (neither does Abby), so we worry when we hear bad noises. Our mechanic went back into the shop and came back with the box with the bad part in it, and proceeded to explain to me (in words that I could understand, even!), some of the parts of the strut mount, and why it had been making that noise (the bearings had broken down, so when we turned the steering wheel, it was metal on metal trying to move). Afterwards, I was thinking that it was something like a knee replacement for our van! Our mechanic is so much cheaper than taking the van to the dealership, and I get a little bit of "Car Mechanics 101"---which is very helpful! He never takes advantage of the fact that we don't know a whole lot about vehicles (although Scott knows a lot more than I do!)

This is why we recommend our mechanic to all of our friends! (Almost everyone in Scott's office uses the same mechanic).

Freezing Rain

Abby's friend Liz (who lives across the country) wanted to see a picture of our freezing rain! Here you go, Liz! This is our neighbor's ornamental pear tree (no pears, and the leaves take forever to fall off in the fall/winter!). The roads aren't all that bad, actually, although everything above the road is coated with ice. This, too, shall pass, and it's nice to have a day/evening to spend at home, without needing to go anywhere (except maybe to take Abby to work and pick her up . . . Scott would feel better if we drove her instead of letting her drive in the sleet and freezing rain (snow is actually better to drive in, we believe!)

Snowy Day in Pennsylvania

A beautiful snowy day!!! Just a clipper system coming through. Joel was once again trying to get a good train picture, but he missed the train. He took some pictures, though! A snowy day in a small Pennsylvania town, near the railroad tracks.

Picturesque Cemetery

Scott's been researching some of his family history (ancestral heritage), and he sometimes goes to area cemeteries to search out the gravestones of his ancestors. He just discovered some new information the other evening, and we took a detour on our way to his mom's house this morning. What a beautiful setting! We only found one headstone (only one out of the two for which we were looking), but we had to leave and get up to his mom's house, so that we could get the potatoes boiling for our mashed potatoes! (We had the "That's a Bowl" container of peeled and cut potatoes in the trunk of our car.) Scott says he'll go back to the cemetery another time, when he doesn't feel rushed. I don't know that he'll find what he's looking for, though. Many of these headstones/markers are very old and not made of marble, and any writing that may have been there at one time is no longer visible!

Joel and Abby said that they felt like we were on a "leg" of that "Amazing Race" show . . . looking for three gravestones in a sizable cemetery---pressed for time, and not being successful! (At least we didn't have an emotional meltdown like some of those contestants do, although the kids pointed out that we were also well-rested, not travel-weary, and not trying to win a million dollars!)

Interesting Pictures, . . . .

I really haven't been in a mood to share many of my thoughts lately (just a phase! I'm sure it will pass eventually), but I thought I'd share an interesting photo or two (if there's anyone who even reads this blog!). :o) Scott likes to play around with the camera, and he was doing so back in July, at the reception for his niece's wedding. I love this photo! This was the centerpiece for the tables.