On the Doctor Road Again

Woody got up and walked four miles. I got up and continued in my cleaning mode again. I washed the window in the laundry room and then went outside and washed the sunporch door windowpanes on the outside. So that area of the house has had a sprucing up. I was going to do a kitchen window, but when Woody got home from his walk, he reminded me that he had a dermatologist appointment in Murfreesboro today. So we left around 11:30 and took a leisurely "stroll" on the back road to Murfreesboro. We were slowed down a bit when we came to the community wide yardsale that is pictured in tonight's photos...there were tents, tables, etc. set up over quite an expanse of the highway we were traveling...we also got behind "Farmer Jones" on a slow tractor, etc. We went that way both going and coming back so I could attempt to get a few pictures out the car windows. It was a beautiful day...beautiful clouds...though it was a bit warmer than it has been...but there was a breeze and the humidity continued to be down. Woody's appointment was a quick one...he got called in right on time and he wasn't in the office more than thirty minutes. He was told that they discuss him in the office...I guess that they don't have many Stage-four melanoma cases who have kept returning for their yearly appointments for so many years. Dr. Bell is the doctor Woody was sent to by our personal care physician after he had been diagnosed and operated on (mole removed) here in Tullahoma and that surgeon said that he didn't need further excision as he had taken out a wide enough margin...but that it was usually recommended when the pathology report came back to have further excision. Woody decided to take the pathology report's advice and had our doctor recommend a dermatologist in Murfreesboro...that was nine years ago! At that time Dr. Bell sent him on to a surgeon in Murfreesboro and Woody ended up having two surgeries on the same day by two different doctors and after pathology reports were back, it was declared that the Melanoma hadn't moved on in his body. But, several years on down the road...it was back and that time it was fourth stage melanoma. He has continued to go for yearly or more often check-ups with Dr. Bell...so it is known that he continues to fight and win the battle with his melanoma. Woody said that his nurse today had never heard of ipimimulab or keytruda...guess most of their patients haven't gotten to the stage of being qualified to take these drugs (these drugs are "last ditch efforts"). We got back home midafternoon and ate what I call lupper (lunch and supper combined). After eating I sat down in my chair and didn't "come to" until just a few minutes ago...wonder if I'll be able to sleep tonight...now that it is bedtime! (By the way, I don't know if you have picked up on this in the news reports...but Keytruda (infusion that Woody gets every three weeks) is one of the treatments that former President Jimmy Carter is getting...along with radiation.) Oh, and, Woody did pass his "body check" for any dark or suspicious places on his skin today...an appointment was made for next year!