MRF-Logo2019-Horizontal-RGB
Good News
REGISTER
The information on this site is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Content within the patient forum is user-generated and has not been reviewed by medical professionals. Other sections of the Melanoma Research Foundation website include information that has been reviewed by medical professionals as appropriate. All medical decisions should be made in consultation with your doctor or other qualified medical professional.

Good News

› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Good News

  • Post
    • March 8, 2017 at 7:21 pm
    Nicklindner
    Participant

      I have found that reading peoples good news has given me encouragement and hope so I wanted to share some of my good news as well. 

      Quick Background – I am a 33 year old male initially 3c in 2011 was given a favorable outcome/prognosis after all melanoma was surgically removed.  Found a lump on my right chest wall October of 2016 and became stage 4.  PET showed that it has spread to my lung, spleen, groin, right side of my body and was not given a favorable prognosis. 

      I started IPI/Nivo combo 12/15/16 and got nearly every side effect imaginable – it was comical.  After 3 treatments I got a severe case of gastritis.  I was throwing up blood, liver enzymes were elevated, Spleen was inflammed.  So they cancelled the 4th treatment and put me on high dose prednisone. 

      Due to debilitaing back pain my doctor thought that the cancer might have spread into my spine so we scheduled a CT scan.  I got the scan results back today.  So the scans did not show any progression into my back – that remains a mystery.  The good news is that the melanoma is no longer detected in my groin or on my right side.  The tumor on my lung shrunk from 3.8cm x 3.4 to 1.8cm x 1.7.  The tumor on my spleen shunk from 1.6cm x 1.7 to .5cm x .6. 

      My doctor was very encouraged by this as was I.  It was so awesome to hear the excitement in her voice as she shared this news with me.  We are planning to resume the opdivo treatment at the end of this month or in April once bloodwork gets back to normal. 

      I wanted to thank everyone on here for the knowledge, time and compassion that they have shared.  You have helped make this journey for me much more manageable and have provided medical hope when I wasn't sure that there was any.  I realize that this journey will probably never end for me and I will treat this like a chronic illness for the rest of my life but I am starting to think I might be able to see my kids grow up and have kids of their own and that is a good feeling.  I think about many of you daily and pray for you and your families as well.  I wish you all the very best. 

      Thank you!

       

    Viewing 12 reply threads
    • Replies
        • March 8, 2017 at 7:23 pm
        Jahendry12
        Participant

          Thank you for sharing.  That is great news!!!  I too want to second your comments in your last paragraph.  This forum is filled with awesome people.

          • March 8, 2017 at 7:33 pm
          NSNewf
          Participant

            Great to hear the good news!  

            • March 8, 2017 at 9:54 pm
            iskitwo
            Participant

              Great News!

              • March 8, 2017 at 10:21 pm
              cancersnewnormal
              Participant

                Thanks for sharing Nick! WHOA those side effects sound terrible… but the tumors shrinking is fantastic! 

                • March 8, 2017 at 11:03 pm
                jennunicorn
                Participant

                  Woohoo! So happy to hear good news!

                  • March 8, 2017 at 11:21 pm
                  mdoh
                  Participant

                    Such wonderful news! Thanks for sharing. Hold on to hope. You will see your kids grow up!

                    • March 8, 2017 at 11:46 pm
                    Johnjk04
                    Participant

                      Sounds very good Nick. I have pretty much the same story. Quite a bit of pain in my upper back, went to a back doctor, he said I was all right. 2 months down the road had my gall bladder out, 6 cm of metastatic melanoma. I told my surgeon the back pain was from the gall bladder, he laughed at that idea. Check around on the internet for my theory. No more back pain after surgery.

                      • March 9, 2017 at 8:00 am
                      Mat
                      Participant

                        Nick, awesome news!  Glad to hear.

                        • March 9, 2017 at 1:55 pm
                        Nick C
                        Participant

                          Great news! Hoping my scan on the 23rd show similar results.

                          Nick

                          • March 9, 2017 at 4:04 pm
                          Bubbles
                          Participant

                            Wonderful!!!  Enjoy!!   Celeste

                            • March 9, 2017 at 4:22 pm
                            snow white
                            Participant

                              Such great news!!!! Congrats to you.  Keep fighting!

                              Jen

                              • March 9, 2017 at 6:38 pm
                              Mark_DC
                              Participant

                                Nick, well done and great news! Must be huge relief!!!

                                • March 10, 2017 at 5:50 pm
                                Nicklindner
                                Participant

                                  Thanks everybody!

                              Viewing 12 reply threads
                              • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
                              About the MRF Patient Forum

                              The MRF Patient Forum is the oldest and largest online community of people affected by melanoma. It is designed to provide peer support and information to caregivers, patients, family and friends. There is no better place to discuss different parts of your journey with this cancer and find the friends and support resources to make that journey more bearable.

                              The information on the forum is open and accessible to everyone. To add a new topic or to post a reply, you must be a registered user. Please note that you will be able to post both topics and replies anonymously even though you are logged in. All posts must abide by MRF posting policies.

                              Popular Topics