A fork in the road: which way should we turn?

I am beginning this blog so that our family and friends will be able to keep up with us during Woody's melanoma treatments.

Woody found out Monday (Jan. 5) that the bones in his arm haven't healed sufficiently--so he will need further surgery--bone grafts and a plate. His orthopedist and his melanoma doctor conferred and for the time being that surgery will be put on hold so he can get started on his melanoma treatments.

To back up a bit for those who haven't been in on the story from the beginning: Sept. 15th (2008) Woody was in a very bad bicycle accident--he will be the first to tell you that it was caused by a woman driver! He was going along at a pretty fast clip (between 20 and 25 mph). He saw a car approaching so he moved over to the paved shoulder. The driver turned in front of him immediately after passing him. He ended up braking to avoid hitting the car or vice-versa and the pavement broke his fall and he ended up with a compound fracture of both bones in his lower left arm just above the wrist. The orthopedist, Dr. Fiala, attempted to put the bones back together--but lots of bone was left along the side of the road. Dr. Fiala described what was left at the ends of the broken bones as cornflakes! Woody had surgery on Sept. 15th and a bar (external fixture) and pins were placed in his arm and hand to keep the bones in alignment with hopes that the bones would regenerate. So it has been almost 4 months since the accident. The bar and pins were removed Monday, Jan. 5. He now has a soft, half cast on the lower arm to protect it until he can have the surgery.

Early in November, he felt a soft knot behind his ear and immediately called to set up an appointment with his dermatologist. Woody acted swiftly due to the melanoma that he had had removed from his forehead 2 1/2 years ago. The dermatologist told him that he was sure that it wasn't anything, but due to his history he needed to have it surgically removed. It was removed the week before Thanksgiving. We received a call (after 8pm) from the surgeon on the Monday after Thanksgiving telling us that it was melanoma. The surgeon set up an appointment with Dr. John Zubkus, an oncologist in Murfreesboro. At our first visit Dr. Zubkus set up P.E.T. and CT scans. Those scans showed hot spots in several places in his body. Dr. Zubkus got Woody an appointment with Dr. Jeffrey Sosman, the head of melanoma research at Vanderbilt. We found out the results of the scans on Dec. 23 and we were seeing Dr. Sosman on Dec. 26th--so once in a while initial appointments with a doctor can happen quickly! Dr. Sosman has put forth several options that Woody can choose to try--and that is the reason that I call this post "a fork in the road."

Dr. Sosman put things on hold till Woody found out about how his arm was healing at the January 5th orthopedist appointment. The treatments that Woody has to choose from would not aid in bones healing. But now that the bones aren't healing, I imagine that we will be going forth posthaste with melanoma treatments and look at surgery on his arm at a date after he has recovered sufficiently from treatments. We will be returning to Dr. Sosman on Monday, Jan. 12, at which time I am pretty sure decisions will be made about which treatment/s Woody will be taking. None of the options will be any fun. Woody will be in for the fight of his life.

Once Woody chooses which treatment/s, I will explain more about it/them.

We ask that you keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

Lois