Health Update

I have been pretty busy, and I realized today that I never updated everyone on what is going on with my health. I had scans in early May and sent them off to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. For the last 5 years, I have been overseen by the Sarcoma Specialty Center there. I am seen by the head of sarcoma specialty clinic and he is fabulous. Up until this point I had been there in person twice and the rest of the time was seen via telehealth over zoom. Unfortunately, starting in January of 2025, the medical system in the U.S. shifted back to pre-pandemic rules. No one on the sarcoma team has a license to treat in Montana, so I would have to come there to be seen in person. So I flew from Montana to Minneapolis and drove to Rochester to be seen for 30 minutes. Several good things came out of this appointment. First, I am still stable. Second, I got to see my favorite doctor on the planet in person. Third, he felt SO BAD that I had to fly to see him when I have been stable for so long that he decided I didn’t need to seek out an appointment with him every 6 months. I will continue the treatment regimen I have been on for the last several years, and get CT scans done every 6 months. I will not be talking to the Mayo Clinic until there is an issue. A new growth, I start to not tolerate the treatment, or growth of my existing tumors by >20%. So I am putting my faith in the hands of my local doctors for now. I will also be switching this next appointment (July 31st) to a Lupron shot that lasts for 3 months rather than 28 days. This will coincide with my IV treatment of Zometa, which is every 3 months. Yes, ladies and gents, this means I only go into the oncology department every 3 months….4 times a year. This is HUGE for me. The only benefit of going to Rochester was the ability to see my favorite doc, but also an adult lifelong friend from my time living in NE Minnesota in the mid ’90s.

Along the same lines, Logan Health in Kalispell recently had their first cancer survivor’s day. There were cupcakes, food trucks, loads of vendors. Rich and I stopped by for an hour or so and he was amazed at the number of people I knew who were there…staff and patients. I am in a book club for cancer survivors and a lot of them were there. Also a lot of folks from our local Soul Sisters Cancer group, which I also participate in.