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Brand New to This – Help me please
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Brand New to This – Help me please

› Forums › Cutaneous Melanoma Community › Brand New to This – Help me please

  • Post
    • January 13, 2011 at 6:55 pm
    kbc123
    Participant

      Hello ~  This is totally new to me and I am looking for answers, support, sanity, sleep, not all in that order.

      Hello ~  This is totally new to me and I am looking for answers, support, sanity, sleep, not all in that order.

      I am currently in the very beginning stages of my new life-  with Melanoma.  I had a strange mole on my back that was removed last week, got the "unfortunately its Melanoma"  telephone call on Friday.  By Monday, I was seen by a doctor in our local Cancer Institute (CINJ)  who really gave me a better outlook on things, but nonetheless, I am petrified.  I am going for a lymphoscintigraphy and for more surgery to take off more skin/tumor area and I will have a lovely scar on my back ( who really cares about that anyway).   I will take all the scars they can give me, but I want my life back.

      Someone on here, please tell me I am going to get through this, because as of last night, my brain can't deal with this. Sleep is minimal, I can't turn it off. 

      I will owe you the world if someone could just give me peace of mild. 

    Viewing 5 reply threads
    • Replies
        • January 14, 2011 at 3:39 pm
        Sherron
        Participant

          Hi, maybe if you can give some more information regarding you diagnois, like what the pathology report says, you might get some responses and some help from  people.  Wishing you the very best.  I  know this can be very scary thing to have happen to you.  You have found a good support system.  We just need some more informationg.

          Take Care,

          Sherron, wife to Jim FOREVER

            • January 14, 2011 at 11:13 pm
            kbc123
            Participant

              Thank you Sherron for responding.  What had happended is the posting came up two or three times?  Like I said, this is all new to me, I must have screwed something up when I posted ..Ugh.

              I do have my path information on the other posting "Brand New to this…."  I can copy it over if you want me to..

               

              Thanks for answering – I am getting lots and lots of info…

               

              Kathy

              • January 14, 2011 at 11:13 pm
              kbc123
              Participant

                Thank you Sherron for responding.  What had happended is the posting came up two or three times?  Like I said, this is all new to me, I must have screwed something up when I posted ..Ugh.

                I do have my path information on the other posting "Brand New to this…."  I can copy it over if you want me to..

                 

                Thanks for answering – I am getting lots and lots of info…

                 

                Kathy

              • January 14, 2011 at 3:39 pm
              Sherron
              Participant

                Hi, maybe if you can give some more information regarding you diagnois, like what the pathology report says, you might get some responses and some help from  people.  Wishing you the very best.  I  know this can be very scary thing to have happen to you.  You have found a good support system.  We just need some more informationg.

                Take Care,

                Sherron, wife to Jim FOREVER

                • January 14, 2011 at 4:32 pm
                kthekhal
                Participant

                  Hi,

                   As Sherron says, you should get to know more about your diagnosis (especially staging etc.) –

                  I was also treated at CINJ (I hope you mean Cancer Institute of New Jersey in New Brunswick).

                  I am Stage 3b (4 mm primary on left forearm, ulcerated, 2 lymph nodes with cancer !)

                  Had my WLE in Sep 2008 & LND in Oct 2008  (both done by Dr.Jonathan Lee) – NED since then  – just had my yearly  PET/CT scan yesterday at RWJ (Hamilton, NJ).

                  So, I have been NED for more than 2 years now, and there are quite a few resilient men & women on this board who have NED for more than 2 years with advanced Melanoma.

                  Will be glad to assist you in anyway to make you feel comfortable to fight this disease. I live in East Windosr ,NJ

                  EMAIL – [email protected]

                  Best Regards,

                  Kish

                    • January 14, 2011 at 11:41 pm
                    kbc123
                    Participant

                      East Windsor is right around the corner.  thank you for responding.  Yes I just went to CINJ in New Brunswick on Monday.  Dr. Goydos is my doctor treating me right now.  He set up a lymphoscintigraphy two weeks from now and then the wide excision surgery as well as lymph node removal.

                      I am comfortable with him.  Just scared of the diagnosis.  It helps to see people on here that have so much knowledge .  My Path report is on the other posting.  I will copy it and paste it over here if you dont find it. 

                       

                      Thanks Kish

                       

                      Kathy

                      • January 15, 2011 at 2:34 am
                      kthekhal
                      Participant

                        Kathy,
                           If you are having lymphoscintigraphy 2 weeks from now, that means you are yet to be staged correctly.
                        Probably you will have the lymphoscintigraphy in the same facility where I had mine (in New Brunswick,NJ).
                        lymphoscintigraphy will give  clue to your oncologist  if a lymph node is affected with Melanoma.
                        And during the WLE , they will examine the nearest node affected – if it is NOT affected, you remain Stage 2 (and your survival rate is 98%  !!!)
                        So, until the WLE is done, just remain patient and calm (easier said than done  – but 'been there and done that !!').
                        Also, I practice Yogic breathing everyday (which helps immensely with relieving the stress).
                        By the way, I am an Asian Indian (from India ) living in the US since 1996 and my oncologist at CINJ told me that
                        I was the first Asian Indian he ever treated for Melanoma.

                        Regards,

                        Kish  

                        • January 15, 2011 at 2:34 am
                        kthekhal
                        Participant

                          Kathy,
                             If you are having lymphoscintigraphy 2 weeks from now, that means you are yet to be staged correctly.
                          Probably you will have the lymphoscintigraphy in the same facility where I had mine (in New Brunswick,NJ).
                          lymphoscintigraphy will give  clue to your oncologist  if a lymph node is affected with Melanoma.
                          And during the WLE , they will examine the nearest node affected – if it is NOT affected, you remain Stage 2 (and your survival rate is 98%  !!!)
                          So, until the WLE is done, just remain patient and calm (easier said than done  – but 'been there and done that !!').
                          Also, I practice Yogic breathing everyday (which helps immensely with relieving the stress).
                          By the way, I am an Asian Indian (from India ) living in the US since 1996 and my oncologist at CINJ told me that
                          I was the first Asian Indian he ever treated for Melanoma.

                          Regards,

                          Kish  

                          • January 14, 2011 at 11:41 pm
                          kbc123
                          Participant

                            East Windsor is right around the corner.  thank you for responding.  Yes I just went to CINJ in New Brunswick on Monday.  Dr. Goydos is my doctor treating me right now.  He set up a lymphoscintigraphy two weeks from now and then the wide excision surgery as well as lymph node removal.

                            I am comfortable with him.  Just scared of the diagnosis.  It helps to see people on here that have so much knowledge .  My Path report is on the other posting.  I will copy it and paste it over here if you dont find it. 

                             

                            Thanks Kish

                             

                            Kathy

                          • January 14, 2011 at 4:32 pm
                          kthekhal
                          Participant

                            Hi,

                             As Sherron says, you should get to know more about your diagnosis (especially staging etc.) –

                            I was also treated at CINJ (I hope you mean Cancer Institute of New Jersey in New Brunswick).

                            I am Stage 3b (4 mm primary on left forearm, ulcerated, 2 lymph nodes with cancer !)

                            Had my WLE in Sep 2008 & LND in Oct 2008  (both done by Dr.Jonathan Lee) – NED since then  – just had my yearly  PET/CT scan yesterday at RWJ (Hamilton, NJ).

                            So, I have been NED for more than 2 years now, and there are quite a few resilient men & women on this board who have NED for more than 2 years with advanced Melanoma.

                            Will be glad to assist you in anyway to make you feel comfortable to fight this disease. I live in East Windosr ,NJ

                            EMAIL – [email protected]

                            Best Regards,

                            Kish

                            • January 14, 2011 at 4:48 pm
                            W.
                            Participant

                              Note: this is a duplicate thread.

                               

                              The other thread with more answers is here: http://www.melanoma.org/community/mpip-melanoma-patients-information-page/brand-new-help-me-please-1

                              • January 14, 2011 at 4:48 pm
                              W.
                              Participant

                                Note: this is a duplicate thread.

                                 

                                The other thread with more answers is here: http://www.melanoma.org/community/mpip-melanoma-patients-information-page/brand-new-help-me-please-1

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