First Day of May....

Well Happy May Day to you all!

Spring is officially "in the air", May is Melanoma Awareness Month and it is also my two year BLOG anniversary.

May also marks an important time in my own melanoma cancer survivorship. I'm hopeful that by the end of this week I can proudly claim myself N•E•D (No Evidence of Disease) of cancer for yet another year! Two Years, to be exact.

Just two weeks ago, as you may recall. I had a scare with an odd blister on my left hip. I went to my dermatologist, Dr. Peck and he assured me that he thought it was a bug bite that was healing slowly. Since I was already there and due for my 4-month follow-up at the end of May, he took the time to check me over - HEAD to TOES (and under my hair!) and declared that nothing looked unusual and I could graduate to 6-month visits! Yahooo!!

Dr. Peck also took the time to reassure me that I should come to him "ANYTIME I FOUND ANYTHING THAT I WAS UNSURE OF"... no matter how insignificant I thought it was or how dumb I felt asking about it. I thanked him for saying that and his response was "You have had Melanoma, nothing is too small to look at. I would rather see you 8 times this year and be able to tell you it is nothing than have you stay away and find out after six months that it was something."

I *heart* Dr. Peck!

Yesterday was a 4-month follow-up exam with my oncologist, Dr. Butler. He poked and prodded and we chatted about triathlons and running (he is a runner too!) and summer and being healthy. He said I looked great, initial blood counts looked good and agreed that it was time for my yearly CT scans to determine that I am still N•E•D.

I was hoping that after two years, I would graduate to *six month follow-ups* with him as well but alas, he wants to see me in 4 months! I think he just likes to hear about my races....HEHEHE. It's okay though ... I still *heart* Dr. Butler too.

So tomorrow afternoon, I'll leave work early and go to get my CT scans done. I get to drink the most disgusting apple juice ever, get an IV line attached and have iodine injected in to my bloodstream. Then I have to hold my breath for a full second longer than I think I can hold it and wait for the gentle female CT SCAN computer voice say "Breathe". All of this to take pictures of my brain, thorax, abdomen and pelvis.

These appointments and tests have become a part of my regular rites of spring. I wonder if you can wrap an IV line around a Maypole? Hey, whatever it takes to be called N•E•D.

LiveSTRONG!