Frequently Asked Questions

Rhonda and I have been as busy as little squirrels preparing for winter, except that our preparations are of food, plans, and favors. We have been working hard in getting reading for the coming weeks of treatment and trying to squeeze in some time outside (where it has been sunny and in the 50s). This means that I have been slow to write. However, I want to take the time to answer a couple of frequently asked questions.

Q: What led you to have your mole removed? Or, how did you end up finding out you had melanoma?

I had a big mole on my left ear lobe. It had been around as long as I can remember (although my mom swears I didn't go to college with it!) I had had several dermatologists look at it over the years, and they all said that it was benign. One Dr. even went so far as to explain that it is a "hair producing mole" and they are never cancerous. I was discouraged from having it removed by these early consults -- one doctor told me that having the mole removed would be "purely cosmetic" and that it would leave a scar more noticeable than the mole itself.

Anyway, the mole had grown some and had become painful within the last year. I mentioned it to my family doc who referred me to a plastic surgeon who could biopsy it. I almost didn't follow through with the appointment (because of above previous experiences), but go to see Dr. Lee who did not hesitate and removed the mole on January 12th.


Q: Do you feel sick or tired?

No. I really don't. This is pretty typical of melanoma -- you only start to feel sick once the cancer is pretty advanced. I feel very normal. I have been able to exercise daily, do yoga, and continue with everything I would normally do.

Q: What will your treatment be like?

I will be receiving 30 minute infusions of interferon five days a week for a month. I will have a picc line put in the morning of my first treatment (this Monday, 3/22) and then all of my infusions will be delivered through that line. I will be at the center for 1-2 hours a day.

Side effects of the interferon are "flu like symptoms" and fatigue. The side effects are cumulative, so I will likely feel more tired by the end of each week and by the end of the month.

Q: Will you drive back and forth to Green Bay every day?

No. The schedule (at least for now) is that we will drive home on Monday and Tuesday afternoons, and then we will stay with friends on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

[For those of you who don't know your Northeastern Wisconsin Geography, Marinette is about 60 miles from Green Bay. However, now that the new highway is open, it can take just 50 minutes!]

Q: Are you working this semester?

I am not teaching this semester. I received the initial diagnosis on the first day of the semester, and by Thursday I was told by my oncologist that I could not work this semester. (My colleagues and the dean worked amazingly quickly to get coverage for my courses.) I have been able to do some "meaningful work" for the university, and this has allowed me to work between 10-20 hours a week for the last six weeks. I will be on complete leave during treatment.