Treatment Update

Dear friends and family,

In the last two weeks I have continued to recover well from surgery; my ear looks better than anticipated, and I have even been told by some that I can not get away with any of the multiple ear lobe stories suggested by friends (shark bite, Mike Tyson, and Van Gogh being the most popular). Rhonda and I have been to New York and back, and we have even planted our first seeds indoors (parsley, in case you are wondering).

After the meeting with the Sloan-Kettering melanoma specialist and a consultation with my local oncologist, we have decided that I will do four weeks of interferon treatment to help my immune system fight off any remaining cancer cells and prevent recurrence. I will receive treatment five days a week from March 22nd through April 16th at the Bellin Cancer Center in Green Bay. I will not, however, do the additional 11 months of treatment as both doctors agreed that the most benefit comes within the first month.

I have been very impressed with both the facility and the comprehensive onsite services at Bellin. The treatment area – where I will spend two hours a day – is a beautiful sunlit space that overlooks a garden. And, because of the potential side effects of interferon, we are pleased to know that there is a nutritionist, psychologist, and a doctor who specialized in integrative holistic medicine on staff.

After treatment I will be on a rigorous program of observation with oncology/dermatology appointments four times a year for several years. While the post-treatment period will bring relief in many ways, we both recognize that there will be significant challenge in living with the uncertainty of recurrence. In the past weeks we have stepped up our self-care game, and the many forms this takes for us (cooking healthy, whole foods; walks in our woods; yoga and volleyball; meditation; the company of friends and family, etc.) will sustain us in the coming years.

I continue to be very grateful for all of the ways we have both been supported in the recent weeks. And, although I haven’t been able to respond to all, I very much appreciate the messages and well wishes.

As the very first seeds of the garden begin to germinate, I ask you to continue to envision wellness blooming.

With hope,

Amy