Diagnosed in May, lymphadenectomy tomorrow

Good grief!!! 2020 has been bad, but my goodness. Sorry for what you’ve gone through and your need to be here, but welcome! At this point I hope you are beginning your recovery from what I presume was a WLE (wide local excision) to get clear margins and your sentinel node biopsy and that your node(s) will be negative and clear margins were attained with as little difficulty as possible. If your node are negative and the ditzels in your lungs (and lungs love to have meaningless ditzels!!!) are NOT melanoma then I’m guessing from the bit of info shared, that you are Stage II. If you do have a positive node, you are Stage III. I am keep fingers crossed that Stage II is all that you are dealing with. Your prognosis is very good if that is the case. Here is a site that I find helpful re staging explanations:
https://www.aimatmelanoma.org/stages-of-melanoma/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=stage%20of%20skin%20cancer&gclid=CjwKCAjwwab7BRBAEiwAapqpTEe61LOdhoNMsHaYnswFiF4DKW2XlEer8zt_Y0WDUatx_nzHi6V8rhoCw_cQAvD_BwE

Most of the data you will find on the web about melanoma and survival statistics will be dismal!!! SO!!!! Go careful there. NONE of the current effective treatments for melanoma were FDA approved until 2011. We’ve come a long way baby!!! Further – when looking for data you have to be careful that you are comparing apples-to-apples. Stage II outcomes are NOT the same as Stage IV outcomes, for instance.

If you are super bored in your recovery or just the sort who likes to learn more about all potentials – though I hope once you recover from your current ta-dah, you and melanoma will be done!! – there are these posts that may interest you.

Here is a “primer” I put together that covers current melanoma therapies: https://chaoticallypreciselifeloveandmelanoma.blogspot.com/2017/08/melanoma-intel-primer-for-current.html

Here is some history of the development of adjuvant treatment (treatment when all tumors have been removed – most often for Stage III patients) – http://chaoticallypreciselifeloveandmelanoma.blogspot.com/2020/03/adjuvant-therapy-for-melanoma-state-of.html

I wish you my best. There are many caring knowledgeable peep on this forum. Ask more questions as you have the need. Celeste