Exactly one year ago today, I was diagnosed with malignant melanoma under my thumbnail on July 21, 2021.  For those of you who have been following my cancer journey, you know that my life changed suddenly at that time. Three weeks ago, I completed my 10^th and FINAL infusion of a drug named Keytruda, marking a full year of chemoimmunotherapy.

This week, I have again reflected on the past year, and it seems almost surreal the course of my life over the past year. It is completely and transparently chronicled in my previous blogs, all of which are available on this website. As most of you know who have been following my journey, it all began with a pigmented spot under my thumbnail of my dominant right hand. Exactly 365 days ago on this date, I received a phone call while I was in the operating room performing procedures on my own patients. The call revealed to me the pathology to be acral subungual malignant melanoma.

The following days, weeks, and months were a blur of imaging studies, doctor visits, surgery, and IV infusions. In addition, there were major life decisions and rebalancing of my life. I underwent surgery on August 4, 2021, an amputation of half of my dominant right-hand thumb along with a sentinel node biopsy in my axilla. Then I started the Keytruda infusions. I battled the fatigue that goes along with chemoimmunotherapy. Over time, the process becomes more burdensome in many ways. An example of such is the simple (or not so simple) process of finding veins for the infusions because my arms developed so much scarring from all the IVs. Along the way, I survived a terrible bicycle wreck that put me in the Trauma Unit at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

In addition, I retrained my hands to be able to perform surgery, and my patient population was so supportive. I get emotional thinking about the patients for whom I have cared over the years. For many years, I remember how I revealed various diagnoses to them; how I walked with them through valleys and mountaintops; how I was a part of helping many head and neck cancer patients achieve victory over their cancer; and how I have laughed, hugged, and prayed over them. And I cannot express how supportive they have been to me, now returning the favor. Many patients follow this blog, and I have been hugged and prayed over too numerous times to count in my clinic since my diagnosis. The physician-patient relationship was transformed and deepened in many circumstances. It has been an interesting period of my life, in which I am a patient for a few days, then I regroup and become a physician again for a short time, and then repeat the process.

I cannot begin to express my love and gratitude for all my family and friends who continue to support me and Kellee. My immediate family and extended family have been there all the way. To Kellee, Alex, Brad, Gray, Molly, Bradley, Jack, and soon to be Caroline…. my love for you has given me the strength to battle every day. I cannot thank enough my Brook Hollow Baptist Church family, Pastor Tom Gholson, and Pastor Jack Foster for the spiritual support. And many thanks to The Heimerdinger Foundation for the all the healthy immune boosting meals, and of course to Sally Bars for making my favorite post infusion meal every time (best chicken parmesan around!) I want to thank my work family, my physician partners and my medical staff, all of whom really are like family to me. Finally, I express sincere gratitude for all the physicians, nurses, and support staff who have been a part of my stellar healthcare team!

Now for the good news, my whole-body imaging studies at the one-year mark revealed no evidence of recurrent disease or any evidence of metastatic melanoma. For now, I am clear! Praise God! And I promised Him that if He restored me to health that I would do my best to honor Him in every word, every thought, and every deed. I am human, but I continue to strive to keep that promise.

I feel extremely grateful. I am going to try to regain strength (takes a few months for Keytruda to completely leave the system).  I will play some golf with my Dad, finally get to travel a little bit with Kellee, spend some time on the farm (picture below is worth a thousand words), and hopefully wet a line soon. And of course, I will keep taking care of patients, keep being thankful, and keep praying for those in need. I have felt your prayers and will return the favor!

I have repeat labs and whole-body imaging again in 3 months.