Prayers requested...again

I have been trying to write this post for the last 2 weeks, but I just can't find the right words. So - let's just rip the bandaid off...My cancer is back :( My most recent scan came back with a couple new tumors. So here we go again.

I'm a little less "cheery" this time, but I am trying to stay positive. Even with the bad news, I am grateful for a couple things. The tumors are still not in any visceral organs and there are treatment options available that were not available last time. AND - most importantly, since my last post I have been here to see 2 homecoming dances, 2 first days of school, my boys getting their first jobs, my daughter starting junior high and having her first boyfriend experience, Eli getting his drivers license, girls trips, family vacations and so much more. These may seem like just normal life things, but two years ago, these are the are things I prayed to be here for. Thank God for answered prayers!

Of course I have had all the normal feelings - sad, mad, depressed, etc...but I will be okay. I think what is hitting me harder this time is the realization that this may never go away completely - and that just sucks! I am sick of it, my kids are sick of it, but it's out of my control. It's hard to accept that in a world where there literally is an answer for everything - but yet here we are.

So before I go full blubbering pity party, let's get to the plan. I will have surgery to remove the tumors in about 8 weeks. During those 8 weeks I am going to start taking a couple medications called BRAF inhibitors or "targeted treatment". This is a special type of chemo that goes in and hunts down a certain type of gene mutation that is in my tumors. Hopefully the side effects will be mild. The most common side effects are fevers, nausea (it's 12 pills a day, so that makes sense), joint pain, and GI stuff.

The hope is that the pills will shrink the tumors so that surgery will be easier/safer. I don't know what they will recommend after surgery. I am trying to focus on just one step at a time, so I'm not worrying about that yet.

Alright - there's the update. Please throw me back on the prayer lists and send any good vibes my way. I will keep you updated along the way. And my PSA for day - metastatic melanoma is a sneaky beast. You don't want to ever deal with this, so wear your sunscreen and get your skin checked! Going to the dermatologist regularly is the best bet for early detection.

XOXO,

Lacey