What a crazy two weeks. I will start with the big news that literally shook our world. Mark was diagnosed with cancer. Just the word makes me emotional. But as far as cancer goes- it could have been so much worse. So here is the scoop.
We have been on a journey to drop some pounds. For me it is a lifelong and constant journey! Mark has been super successful and is down about 30 pounds. With his weight loss, he noticed a lump in his neck at the collarbone. Mark went to the doc who said probably a lymph node and you are fighting an infection. We had Morgan look at it and she freaked out (in her head) and called a radiologist that she used to work for. The radiologist got Mark in the next day and did an ultrasound and biopsy. Results of a squamous carcinoma came 24 hours later. Mark had squamous skin cancer removed from that same location 5 years ago.
PET scan and MRI a couple of days later. Not metastatic from another place in his body. The tumor is in the muscle attached to his collarbone and has eroded part of the bone.
He started immunotherapy and will take infusions every three weeks for a couple of months to see if the tumor will shrink. We met with a head and neck surgeon. Surgery will be scheduled in September. The tumor will be removed, as well as, all the lymph nodes from ear to tumor and a bit on the other side. A thoracic surgeon will also remove part of his collarbone. After surgery he will have a little radiation and will be done.
Morgan gets the credit for her cancer network and helping Mark get lightening fast health care since it was only 10 days from diagnosis to first treatment.
We had planned a 5 week trip to Glacier National Park and Banff with Montana, Wyoming and the Rocky Mountain National Park outside of Boulder on the way home. But we cutting the trip in half so he can be back for his next infusion.
We are so grateful for a good PET scan and soon this summer will be a road bump in life.
Heading to a new state for us, North Dakota, for our first bit of exploration.
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