Detailed update...

I was reminded last week by loving friends that I was remiss in updating the blog on the MDA trip. Sorry about that!

Great trip out. Even Baton Rouge wasn't bad traffic-wise. (It was AWFUL for the return trip, but that's another thing...)

Stayed w/ a very sweet HS classmate again. (Reminder to USM types: she's a proud USM grad who represents the school well!)

Speaking of USM types who rep the school well, we rolled out there--again--in a nice ride loaned by another friend who's a proud USM type.

Thursday was bloodwork & P.E.T. scan day. As w/ the trip out, the waits were very short, which is good. (Especially given that I'm not allowed to have any food or--worse--coffee on P.E.T. scan day. *grin*)

Thursday night was a very nice Tex-Mex meal w/ another sweet HS classmate (who has let us stay @ her house as well...)

Friday morning: the latest most-important-Dr.-appt-of-my-life with Dr. Homsi who is my medical melanomam Dr. out there.

BOTTOM LINE: A good visit w/ good results.

Details:
Most important result: nothing new on the P.E.T. scan. That's huge w/ a history of metastatic melanoma.

Another very important result: the same little spot is still there on my chest wall. It's been there these last several trips, and is still there. (If you remember, I was to have surgery last May to remove this spot, but the surgery was cancelled after the P.E.T. scan then). They're not sure what it is. It has grown a little, but only a little. Thus, it's likely not melanoma, which tends to grow fast & aggressively. Dr. H. said it may not even be cancer at all. They don't know.

Therefore, we go back in May for another P.E.T. scan, and appt. w/ Dr. Homsi, PLUS, an appt. w/ Dr. Mehran the surgeon. My hunch is that they'll opt for surgery this time, tho I obviously don't know.

At any rate, a good visit, all in all. We're pleased.

I'll leave you with a quote from Dr. Homsi:
"You've already beaten all the numbers (odds) just by being here."

That is the handiwork of a sovereign healing God Who has chosen to keep the melanoma away and to keep me here for reasons that I'll not fully know this side of glory. It is certainly NOT because of intrinsic worth in this dude! I'm persuaded that in eternity we will discover that He chose to heal & keep me here in response to the prayers of so many of you. THANKS FOR PRAYING!!

Mike