My Battle with Merkel Cell Cancer

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might as well enjoy a good steak.
 Sarah has become something of a comedienne. She
said that she will not participate in her day camp activities but was only going to stand
around. She repeated that several times, and then with a big grin on her face she said "I
was just kidding". She is learning to swim and Bel is also learning to swim. However
allowing them to go in the pool is a big production. They have a wonderful time just using
the wading pool. Just as were about to go inside, Rocky (our Goldendoodle) punctuates
the evening by peeing in the pool. 
I sleep much better, having been reassured that the
treatment plan is on track. 
I go for my Thursday morning radiation treatment. It is very
quick and easy. I keep thinking as the radiation beam is traversing my body "take that
you Merkel cells, I'm going to kill you. I'm going to get rid of every last one of you. You are
my enemy and I hate you" .

On Friday, July 2, I received notice that my drivers license is
up for renewal. It will expire on my birthday, August 18, 2010. I'll have to take a written
test. I checked with the DMV website, and the earliest possible appointment is August 12.
This means that I would have to take the test after five weeks of radiation treatment and
my drivers license photo will show my face probably bright red from the radiation. One of
the three DMV offices in Fresno has been closed for about a month. I decide to see if I
can take the test without an appointment. I drive to the DMV office in Clovis and get there
about 830 in the morning. There were 75 to 100 people waiting in line outside the door.
The parking lot was filled with cars and people searching for spots. Parking on the
adjoining streets was also nonexistent, filled with additional vehicles along to people
going to the DMV office. As I did not want to spend all day at the DMV, I decided to use
my appointment. I asked Dr. John if I would be in mental condition to take the test and he
said I would. If you have an appointment, you usually only have to wait a few minutes. I
would hate to lose my drivers license. 
I asked Dr. John when I could travel. He suggests
waiting three weeks after radiation treatment. I will make an appointment to go back to
Seattle to see Dr. Nghiem at the end of September. Judy wants to plan a cruise.

This
Merkel tumor has forced us to cancel a trip to Philadelphia to visit our son and daughterin-law
and their new baby who is expected to be born in about a week. He will be our first
grandson. I would like to travel to Philadelphia perhaps in the beginning of October to
meet and greet him. They plan to name him Eli. 
Our oldest granddaughter, Eva, has
written the following while at camp. I think she will be a wonderful writer someday.
"Friendship is the sprout of a new life.
 When you make a friend, you have a person who
will be by your side, and love you no matter what.
 Your friend will always walk home with
you.
 They will hug you when you cry.
 Without friends, there would be no peace. The
world would not spin round.
We need friends.
Eva Shuster-Arechiga Age 9
Posted by docshu at 02:01PM (-07:00)
First Week of Radiation Treatment, Eli is born.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Friday, July 9, 2010.
My third radiation treatment was this morning. Yesterday in the afternoon, I felt some
nausea. Otherwise I feel good and have no signs of radiation in my neck. I arrived at the
office on time but had to wait about a half hour before treatment began. I met two
interesting men in the waiting room. One was being treated for a brain tumor with
radiation and chemotherapy at the same time. He was optimistic because half way into
his treatment the tumor was slightly smaller. He had a history of thirty years of survival
after testicular cancer and lung metastases. The second man was being treated in his left
neck for skin cancer, I presume squamous cancer and had a very red neck with a white
patch about three inches in diameter, which was a skin graft. He also had some neck
My Battle with Merkel Cell Cancer