I'm posting this to maybe give some hope to those who are recently diagnosed.
I'm posting this to maybe give some hope to those who are recently diagnosed.
11+ years ago I found that the tiny stage 1 "lucky to have caught it so early" melanoma had returned to my lymphnodes and I was now stage 3C. I wasn't hearing much hope from my doctors or where I went for a second opinion. They were wheeling me into surgery at Univ. of Michigan right after the second tower was falling in NYC so I missed most of what happened that day. When I woke up I was told I had 3 positive nodes and one had matted and had extracapsular extensions going into a muscle in my back so that was also removed. My surgeon said he just kept going until he didn't see any more black. I wanted to do a clinical trial but a brain mri showed "something" there so I didn't qualify and so I did interferon and got through 9 months before I had to quit. U of M won't do scans (at least not then, not sure if that changed) after stage 3 unless you have symptoms so I had no scanxiety and I think it was easier for me to get on with my life once the side effects of the interferon were gone. By the way, while it was no picnic, I found it doable and I'm glad I did.
In the past 11 years I've had 4 more grandchildren, acquired two more by our daughter's marriage, our daughter got married and is very happy and life is very good. 11 years ago I would never have imagined this. There are plenty more like me on this bulletin board and if you were recently diagnoised, NEVER FORGET THIS. I don't know what I would have done without this place and I thank the Pattersons for having the wisdom and compassion to begin this bulletin board in their sister's memory. Never give up, never think of yourself as the number they all drill into us with their statistics. Good luck to us all.
DebbieH, stage IIIC, NED 11 years today after interferon and no scans
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