Here we go again...

I just got home from taking Mason to ANOTHER doctors appointment.

He is going to need to have another surgery to remove more Lymph Nodes in his neck on Wednesday. It's so unsettling to even think about this for us. He's already been through so much. I don't want him to have to endure any more pain, I don't want his body to have any more scars.... but I don't want him to have any more cancer, and this is the next step to ensure that the Melanoma is gone and we can have a positive outcome for him.

After the surgery they will keep him in the Pediatric ICU for a few days to be watched before allowing him to come home. He will have a drain inserted in his neck in the area where they remove the lymph nodes. Not fun.

We have gotten a FIRM confirmation from our Oncologist that Mason's Spitzoid Nevus (the Mole on his face) has turned into Spitzoid Melanoma (the cancer in his neck). It is rare for a Spitzoid Mole to turn into Melanoma. They mostly are benign. For our boy, that isn't the case.

We know from the PET CT and CT scans that the cancer has not spread to distant areas, which is good, but to insure that he has the BEST outcome we will need to have him receive high doses of Interferon. The treatments will be given to him 5 days a week for 4 weeks straight. They'll begin the treatments a few weeks after this next surgery. They want to give him a little time to heal before that put him through another hard thing.

This stuff isn't easy. I never suspect it will get any easier. I love my little boy with all of my heart. I know there a lot of you who are thinking of us and praying for him. Please remember him in your prayers while undergoing this next surgery and recovery.