Two weeks ago, I had an apointment with the dermatologist at Tenon hospital. This visit was made as a checkup to investigate if the GvHc was gone and to explore new little problems which might have appeared on the body within a year.

All the clinical symptoms of a GvHc are gone, either in the mouth or on “other parts of the body”. A very good news indead!

But the dermatologist found a “bump” on my right temple, near the ear. As he was not sure of what it was, he took a sample for culture. Two days ago, he called to give me the news: it is another carcinoma. Last year, I had one treated on the left temple. With the doctor, we decided to use dynamic phototherapy to destroy this carcinoma. Once again, we will use photochemistry, my favorite subject when I worked in the lab,: funny! First, “a dye” is injected in the carcinoma, and incubated for a few hours. Then, using a strong infrared source, the carcinoma is burned in a few minutes of irradiation: it is paintful but fast! I will loss some hair in the process too, as a small surface around the carcinoma will be shaved (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photodynamic_therapy)…

All this will take place in a week… and what a week: monday, photopheresis; tuesday early morning-begining of the afternoon, dynamic phototherapy; tuesday afternoon: visit with my graft doctor, Doctor Oui ( or Doctor Yes!)… She will tell me if she is ready to lower my daily dose of ciclosporine (I keep my fingers crossed!).

I am 21 months after the graft. I am OK but each time I do something (like going to Paris by subway, or walking for a reasonable distance), I am easily tired…

Take care and enjoy life!

This week, coming back from a trip to Ontario, I had two apointments with people from my medical network, both at the Saint Antoine hospital and at the Tenon hospital.

First, I had a new round of photopheresis. My friends the nurses are so friendly and professional! Moreover, the new software driving the machine is so good, that the time required to do the treatment is shortened a lot. Also, as I have a very low body temperature, I spend the treatment under an heating blanket: nice! This time, as I was under “jetlag”, I slept ;-)!

Then, the next day, I had an apointment at the Tenon hospital, in dermatology. It was for a “check up” as I had a carcinoma treated there last year by dynamic phototherapy. My doctor there is also following my GvH c on the skin and mucous membranes on my body. First the good news: according to him, my GvH is gone! This is a very important step, since it might mean that the amount of ciclosporine (neoral) I am ingesting each day could be lowered! Well, this is in the hands of my graft doctor…. The not so good news: the doctor discovered “something” he did not like near the ear. It could be another carcinoma. He took a sample, and we have to wait two weeks before knowing the results. If it is a new carcinoma, I will have to have a new treatment to remove it: phototherapy or surgery, depending on how deep it is in the skin…. other funny days are coming!

After leaving the hospital, as the weather was pretty good this day, sunny and “warm”, we decided to visit the church St Gervais not fare from the “hôtel de ville de Paris”. Beautiful stained glass windows, both old and modern. And a statue of my collegue Saint Antoine too ;-)!

To finish our trip to Paris, we went to a cake shop, where they sell mainly a pastry called “le merveilleux” (http://www.auxmerveilleux.com/the-story/): pretty delicious with a dark coffee!

In 3 weeks, I will visit again St Antoine for a photopheris and an apointment with my graft doctor: it is like I am spending all my time visiting hospitals: a trend for aging people?

Below are some photos taken during our trip to Ontario and also of Paris…. Enjoy and enjoy life!