You don't buy cancer but you pay a price. We had a surprise celebration that worked to a tee as we had no idea that Molly & Daniel were putting up their house for a gathering. The problem started around 2013 with a spot on the cheek that was like any other spot. A year later it was pointed out to a local doc who took to it with a laser beam device. This happened a few times and just seemed to result in a blister. If anyone wants to put a laser to your skin say no. So after another year we went to the proper dermatologist who took one look and cut it out. This was around 2015 and with good healing that was it, nothing to be seen here, move along.
Eight years later there is a spot once more. Who knows why there is an eight year wait. By this time we have moved to Geelong with another whole set of doctors. These ones do tests for the first time and identify a name for this growth. It is a nasty one with a corkscrew drill bit. Now the Alfred hospital is involved but they don't care about names or types only depths. It is a dinghy rabbit warren of old buildings with no easy access but it is worth it. They see that the spot is shallow like less than a mm. They take it out again and scribe a large circle for a margin for good measure and replace it all with a skin graft. They had to go back a few months later because the margin wasn't big enough. OK for the second time we are told that is it, all gone all removed, no further treatment.
A year later the local doc who identified the initial spot is well aware and paying close attention to her neck. He finds a small lump and gets the Alfred involved again. This time it is a new building, state of the art, easy parking, easy access and first class service. They are a bit sheepish. The same surgeon said she was in the 1 to 2% group who had the problem return. They are impressed with the local doc as none of them can feel the lump but tests confirm it is there. The lymph node system is a drainage channel where something can hide. At around 2011/2012 some smart doctors invented Pembro. The name is actually a lot longer. This cancer hides from your immune system by masking itself as a good guy. This medicine can take away the mask and let the immune system go to work. So after three doses the cancer was killed off but for good measure a neck operation was performed to remove 29 lymph nodes being thorough. Down the track, surgeries may not be needed. The main thing now is to wind back the immune system from its enthusiastic attacks because the problem has gone. Time to celebrate.
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