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New member – Vanderbilt tomorrow
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New member – Vanderbilt tomorrow

› Forums › General Melanoma Community › New member – Vanderbilt tomorrow

  • Post
    • November 29, 2010 at 4:13 pm
    Doug-Pepper
    Participant

      Thanks to everyone who takes the time to post their journey! I found this site several weeks ago. My husband (Doug) had a WLE on his back with clear margins. SNB came back with melanoma in one node. They removed the rest under his right arm. All clear. His Dr. suggested interfuron. He is sending us to Vanderbilt for a second opinion.  His pet scan & mri came back normal. We have heard that the side effects of the drug are horrible. We have started juicing in the mornings & have added several supplements, along with a much healthier diet.

      Thanks to everyone who takes the time to post their journey! I found this site several weeks ago. My husband (Doug) had a WLE on his back with clear margins. SNB came back with melanoma in one node. They removed the rest under his right arm. All clear. His Dr. suggested interfuron. He is sending us to Vanderbilt for a second opinion.  His pet scan & mri came back normal. We have heard that the side effects of the drug are horrible. We have started juicing in the mornings & have added several supplements, along with a much healthier diet. We are cutting out preservatives & trying to go more natural. Any advice on further treatments/ interfuron?  Thanks so much, Pepper

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    • Replies
        • November 29, 2010 at 7:19 pm
        [email protected]
        Participant

          Pepper, 

          I was orig dx in June, 2000 with micromets in one node from the SNB and all other 17 nodes they removed were clear.

          I did a year of Interferon starting in Aug, 2000. My side effects weren't horrible. I was 35 at the time with a 5 & 7 year old. I was able to work @ 30 hours a week as an accountant and keep up with my kids schedule for the entire year. I had a non-stop headache for a year and was nauseous quite a bit. However, all my side effects were manageable.

          I am now over TEN years out with no sign of disease. Was it the Interferon? Was I lucky that just taking out the lymph nodes caused me to be NED? No one will ever know. Please look into other alternatives to Interferon. Some people do have a really hard time during that treatment. However, I would encourage you to consider at least the one month of high dose Interferon before you decide to do nothing. I wanted to point out that quite a few people do fine while on Interferon.

          Good luck!

          Cara Tindell

            • November 29, 2010 at 9:36 pm
            Doug-Pepper
            Participant

              Cara, thank you so much for the reply. It helps to know what others have been through. Congratulations on being NED for 10 years.  Pepper.

              • November 29, 2010 at 9:36 pm
              Doug-Pepper
              Participant

                Cara, thank you so much for the reply. It helps to know what others have been through. Congratulations on being NED for 10 years.  Pepper.

              • November 29, 2010 at 7:19 pm
              [email protected]
              Participant

                Pepper, 

                I was orig dx in June, 2000 with micromets in one node from the SNB and all other 17 nodes they removed were clear.

                I did a year of Interferon starting in Aug, 2000. My side effects weren't horrible. I was 35 at the time with a 5 & 7 year old. I was able to work @ 30 hours a week as an accountant and keep up with my kids schedule for the entire year. I had a non-stop headache for a year and was nauseous quite a bit. However, all my side effects were manageable.

                I am now over TEN years out with no sign of disease. Was it the Interferon? Was I lucky that just taking out the lymph nodes caused me to be NED? No one will ever know. Please look into other alternatives to Interferon. Some people do have a really hard time during that treatment. However, I would encourage you to consider at least the one month of high dose Interferon before you decide to do nothing. I wanted to point out that quite a few people do fine while on Interferon.

                Good luck!

                Cara Tindell

                • November 30, 2010 at 12:10 am
                dian in spokane
                Participant

                  welcome to the board pepper.

                  Good luck to you and your husband. If he goes with the interferon, the best advice I can give is to double his water intake

                  Lots of water helps

                  • November 30, 2010 at 12:10 am
                  dian in spokane
                  Participant

                    welcome to the board pepper.

                    Good luck to you and your husband. If he goes with the interferon, the best advice I can give is to double his water intake

                    Lots of water helps

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