Tag Archives: melanoma treatment
don’t think twice, it’s alright
A lot has happened since my last blog post: a hospitalization, a trip to LA to give a TED Talk, a trip to Austin to be a part of my cousin’s baby shower, and another hospitalization which I am in … Continue reading →
the good, the bad, and the fucking weird
This morning, I can feel the tendrils of indian summer folding back the edges of summer proper. I usually feel a tinge of sadness at this time of year – a little bit of post-birthday blues along with my seasonal … Continue reading →
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Tagged cancer, cancer progression, cancer treatment, clinical trial, false progression, friendship, health, IL-2, immune system, immunology, immunotherapy, Korea, life, melanoma, melanoma complications, melanoma prognosis, melanoma progression, melanoma recurrence, melanoma treatment, metastatic cancer, metastatic melanoma, mortality, pseudo progression, skin cancer, stable disease, stage 4 cancer, stage 4 melanoma, t-cells, tumor growth, tumors
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15 Comments
chapter….um… six? i think?
So remember , like, a month ago, when I wrote a blog entry about novelty? About how nothing about my cancer was really new anymore, so I had less fuel to write? Yeah, well, about a week later, I got … Continue reading →
red herrings and silver linings
I have a lot to say. A LOT. Ideally, I would have been publishing small, digestible blog posts with updates every few days. I managed to write a chunk of this blog post, but alas, my limited mobility, a constant … Continue reading →
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Tagged bowel obstruction, cancer, melanoma, melanoma prognosis, melanoma treatment, metastatic melanoma, stage 4 cancer, surgery
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12 Comments
bombs away!
So, my scans happened. One of my tumors -the largest one- shrunk. The other four grew. This to say, I didn’t respond to the Ipi/Nivo this time. Now, before you go blubbering on the subway (Dana), know that I consider … Continue reading →
Lights, Camera, Cancer
As published on Cure Today… but WITH the f-bombs… One of the running jokes that has been born in the midst of this long, mostly unfunny battle that melanoma has waged on my body started at my weekly poker game. … Continue reading →
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Tagged cancer, Cure Magazine, documentary, documentary film, filmmaking, immunotherapy, ipilimumab, malignant melanoma, medical, melanoma prognosis, melanoma recurrence, melanoma treatment, metastatic, metastatic melanoma, nivolumab, nivolumab success, NYU, social media, society for melanoma research, stage 4 cancer, stage 4 melanoma, storytelling, targeted therapy, writing
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6 Comments
back in the saddle again
“Angry. Sad. Terrified… The usual suspects. And a few I can’t identify.” That’s how I responded to a text message from my close friend, Aubrie, last Thursday morning. She was texting to see how I was holding up in the … Continue reading →
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Tagged cancer, cancer research, cancer treatment, documentary, fuck cancer, immunotherapy, infusions, ipilimumab, Korea, melanoma, melanoma prognosis, melanoma progression, melanoma recurrence, melanoma treatment, metastatic melanoma, mortality, MRI, nivolumab, scans, skin cancer, stage 4 cancer
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20 Comments
the verdict
Part I – Written in my journal Friday morning… 7/15/16 Today is huge. HUGE. I feel like I’m on my way to a courthouse to be sentenced, knowing that I haven’t done anything wrong but afraid that the jury is … Continue reading →
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Tagged BRAF, BRAF inhibitors, BRAFV600, cancer, cancer treatment, cobimetinib, cotellic, documentary, documentary film, filmmaking, fuck cancer, immunotherapy, ipilimumab, ipilimumab side effects, ipilimumab success, living with cancer, malignant melanoma, MEK inhibitors, melanoma, melanoma prognosis, melanoma progression, melanoma recurrence, melanoma treatment, metastatic melanoma, nivolumab, NYU, NYU Langone, PET scan, photosensitivity, side effects, skin cancer, stage 4 melanoma, stage four cancer, stage four melanoma, targeted therapy, treatment, tumors, vemurafenib, vemurafenib side effects, writing, zelboraf
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15 Comments
A Kick in the Asana
Hey y’all. So, I’m super-duper excited… my first post is up on Cure Magazine’s website. Please share the following link if you’re so inclined!! A Kick in the Asana: How Cancer Made Me a Yoga Person Also, I super-duper promise … Continue reading →
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Tagged blogging, BRAF, BRAFV600, breathe n flow, cancer, child's pose, cobimetinib, community, cotellic, Cure Magazine, fuck cancer, immunotherapy, ipilimumab, ipilimumab side effects, ipilimumab success, journalism, malignant melanoma, melanoma, melanoma prognosis, melanoma progression, melanoma treatment, metastatic melanoma, namaste, nivolumab, side effects, skin cancer, stage 4 melanoma, stage four melanoma, targeted therapy, thyroid, treatment, tree pose, vemurafenib, vemurafenib side effects, writing, yoga, yoga and illness, yoga practice, yoga with cancer, zelboraf
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3 Comments
Sun In The Sky, You Know How I Feel
Here’s the abridged version of what’s happened since my postcard. I was on the Vem/Cobi Combo for exactly three weeks. Since Cobimetinib (The MEK inhibitor) is a three week on, one week off med (like birth control), I was due … Continue reading →
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Tagged blogging, BRAF, BRAF inhibitors, BRAFV600, cancer, cobimetinib, cotellic, dabrafenib, fuck cancer, immunotherapy, ipilimumab, ipilimumab side effects, journalism, malignant melanoma, MEK inhibitors, melanoma, melanoma prognosis, melanoma progression, melanoma treatment, metastatic melanoma, nina simone, NYU Langone, photosensitivity, pura vida, side effects, skin cancer, stage 4 melanoma, stage four melanoma, suicide, sun protection, sunscreen, targeted therapy, thyroid, trametinib, treatment, TSH, vemurafenib, vemurafenib side effects, writing, writing career, zelboraf
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2 Comments
Jen vs. Cancer 