Pissed off epidermis.

Well, it's officially been a week since my first Keytruda treatment, and apparently my immune system has decided to be an asshole. 😂

I've spent the last couple of days dealing with what is probably the most intensely itchy rash I've experienced since having chickenpox as a kid. And I mean ITCHY. The kind of itching that makes you want to peel your skin off just to get a few minutes of peace. It started around my ribs and lower belly, then spread under my breasts, onto my arms, and various other places that absolutely did not need to participate. Little bumps, blisters, raw spots, the whole miserable experience. I spent a couple of days trying desperately NOT to scratch, followed by an absolutely wretched night of doing pretty much nothing but trying not to scratch.

So, back to oncology I went today!

The suspicion is that this may be an immune-mediated reaction to the Keytruda, although they're not certain yet. Basically, immunotherapy works by encouraging my immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells, but sometimes it gets a little carried away and decides perfectly healthy parts of my body need attention, too. In this case, my skin may have drawn the short straw. It's a little early for this kind of reaction, apparently, but here we are. I've been given some prescription ointments and suggestions for over-the-counter remedies, and I'm REALLY hoping they help. I would very much like to stop itching now, thank you.

Otherwise, things have been going fairly well, all things considered! I met with the surgical oncologist on Friday, and we went over some of what surgery will involve after my first three Keytruda treatments. The surgery on my back sounds relatively straightforward, while the lymph node surgery in my neck is a little more complicated and will involve a different surgeon. It was interesting to learn more about the actual procedures, and I'm glad we're getting those details figured out.

Saturday, my friend Lee took me to see BEAT at Mystic Lake, and we had FRONT ROW seats! It was fantastic. I had such a good time, both at the concert and just hanging out with Lee. We grabbed some food beforehand, enjoyed the drive, and I got to spend an evening doing something that had absolutely nothing to do with cancer. Well, mostly. My pain did start creeping back toward the end of the show, but I managed until I got home. Worth it. Every bit.

The rest of my time has been pretty low-key. Lots of Fortnite, some driving around, hanging out, relaxing, and just doing whatever I feel up to doing. I might even fire up Magic: The Gathering Arena again in a little bit and see how that goes. I haven't played in a while, and it sounds like a nice way to spend some time.

It's kind of funny how all of this is becoming part of everyday life already. One day I'm discussing how surgeons remove chunks of skin and sew everything back together, another day I'm sitting in the front row at a concert, and a couple of days later I'm contemplating whether I could survive without an epidermis. 😂

I'm not spending every waking moment thinking about cancer, and I'm certainly not spending every day being miserable. There are plenty of perfectly ordinary, enjoyable moments mixed in with the appointments, pain, medications, and other assorted bullshit. I'm happy about that. I still have things I want to do, games I want to play, people I want to spend time with, and a life I intend to keep enjoying.

So, that's where things stand at the moment. One Keytruda treatment down, two more before we reassess and move toward surgery, and one extremely pissed-off epidermis.

Thank you to everyone who's been keeping up with me and my family, checking in, helping out, or just reading along. We appreciate the support, especially with so much happening at once.

Now, if my immune system could kindly concentrate on the MELANOMA instead of trying to turn me into one giant walking itch, that would be fucking fantastic. 💜