I am so sorry that you, your family, and everyone battling melanoma is having to go through this. We should be enjoying our time with our new babies and young children and families and not dealing with fear or battling the spread of this disease. Thank you for being open with me. I am definitely scared of the wait and see approach. I have a medical background and I think that just makes it worse. I did call MDA and they said they are not recommending anything different. I just have to be deligent in monitoring my moles and hope I will not have evidence of metastases at my check ups.  I will be praying for your family and hope your wife continues to feel well and improves with her treatment!

I am so sorry that you, your family, and everyone battling melanoma is having to go through this. We should be enjoying our time with our new babies and young children and families and not dealing with fear or battling the spread of this disease. Thank you for being open with me. I am definitely scared of the wait and see approach. I have a medical background and I think that just makes it worse. I did call MDA and they said they are not recommending anything different. I just have to be deligent in monitoring my moles and hope I will not have evidence of metastases at my check ups.  I will be praying for your family and hope your wife continues to feel well and improves with her treatment!

I am so sorry that you, your family, and everyone battling melanoma is having to go through this. We should be enjoying our time with our new babies and young children and families and not dealing with fear or battling the spread of this disease. Thank you for being open with me. I am definitely scared of the wait and see approach. I have a medical background and I think that just makes it worse. I did call MDA and they said they are not recommending anything different. I just have to be deligent in monitoring my moles and hope I will not have evidence of metastases at my check ups.  I will be praying for your family and hope your wife continues to feel well and improves with her treatment!

Thanks so much for the advice. I have taken pictures of my surgical site but not my other moles. I will start doing whole body pictures. To be honest I am suprised that my dermatologist isn't doing it. She specializes in skin cancer. I suppose it would take too much time. I am not sure my insurance would cover montly visits, but I am currently going in every three months with my dermatologist for check ups and to MDA every 6 months. Insurance has been paying so far.  I will go right in if I see anything out of the ordinary pop up. Thanks again for the support!

Thanks so much for the advice. I have taken pictures of my surgical site but not my other moles. I will start doing whole body pictures. To be honest I am suprised that my dermatologist isn't doing it. She specializes in skin cancer. I suppose it would take too much time. I am not sure my insurance would cover montly visits, but I am currently going in every three months with my dermatologist for check ups and to MDA every 6 months. Insurance has been paying so far.  I will go right in if I see anything out of the ordinary pop up. Thanks again for the support!

Thanks so much for the advice. I have taken pictures of my surgical site but not my other moles. I will start doing whole body pictures. To be honest I am suprised that my dermatologist isn't doing it. She specializes in skin cancer. I suppose it would take too much time. I am not sure my insurance would cover montly visits, but I am currently going in every three months with my dermatologist for check ups and to MDA every 6 months. Insurance has been paying so far.  I will go right in if I see anything out of the ordinary pop up. Thanks again for the support!

Hello Ash,

   I would definitely try to find a melanoma speciality group in your area. I live in Oklahoma (used to live in Blacksburg, VA-a beautiful place) and was refered to local plastic surgeon to remove my melanoma but cancelled that appoitment and immediately called MD Anderson in Houston, TX. I made an appointment there and had a WLE surgery the next day with a surgical oncologist. Right now I am getting recheck skin checks with my local dermatologist in Oklahoma City (who specialized in skin cancer) every 3 months and recheck exams and chest x-rays at MD Anderson every six months with my surgical oncologist. It's a 7-8 hours drive to Houston, so not too bad. I am toying with the idea of whether I should consult with medical oncologist that specializes in melanoma just to make sure my basis are covered. I think it good to have a foot in the door just in case my condition gets worse (crossing figers), and I need more aggressive treatment. MD Anderson also seems to have clinical trials that go on every now and then.

My husband and I were wanting to have another baby, and I got the okay from MD Anderson and my dermatologist following my surgery (in October 2015), but with this new report on pregnancy, we have decided to not have any other children. I want to be here/alive for my daughter and watch her grow up as long as possible. I know you do too! Thankfully your melanoma was diagnosed early too. I wish I could find someone to do professional photographs. I can't even imagine where I would start looking for someone to do that. I do worry about only being checked for lung mets with chest x-rays every 6 months. The alternative is excessive exposure to radiation from x-rays more frequently which can cause other problems/tumors. I also recently had some brown pigmentation return right smack dab in the middle of my scar. I happened to be in Australia on vacation when I noticed it. I immediately freaked out and took pictures and sent them to my doctor at MD Anderson. He told me they were freckles and to monitor them monthly. MD Anderson has a great patient portal where you can communicate/email your doctor with questions and concerns. They respond really quickly. It may not always be my sugical oncologist that responds, but it will either be him, his fellow/resident, or his nurse who will have spoken with him. directly. MDA is fine oiled machine that takes patient care seriously. So far, I am happy going there. Anyway, hang in there. I definitely understand your stress and anxiety. It comes and goes in waves for me. I try to keep busy with activities and reading. Enjoy your three babies! I am so jealous. We really would have loved to have another child, but just don't want to risk it.  Take care. -Jen

Hello Ash,

   I would definitely try to find a melanoma speciality group in your area. I live in Oklahoma (used to live in Blacksburg, VA-a beautiful place) and was refered to local plastic surgeon to remove my melanoma but cancelled that appoitment and immediately called MD Anderson in Houston, TX. I made an appointment there and had a WLE surgery the next day with a surgical oncologist. Right now I am getting recheck skin checks with my local dermatologist in Oklahoma City (who specialized in skin cancer) every 3 months and recheck exams and chest x-rays at MD Anderson every six months with my surgical oncologist. It's a 7-8 hours drive to Houston, so not too bad. I am toying with the idea of whether I should consult with medical oncologist that specializes in melanoma just to make sure my basis are covered. I think it good to have a foot in the door just in case my condition gets worse (crossing figers), and I need more aggressive treatment. MD Anderson also seems to have clinical trials that go on every now and then.

My husband and I were wanting to have another baby, and I got the okay from MD Anderson and my dermatologist following my surgery (in October 2015), but with this new report on pregnancy, we have decided to not have any other children. I want to be here/alive for my daughter and watch her grow up as long as possible. I know you do too! Thankfully your melanoma was diagnosed early too. I wish I could find someone to do professional photographs. I can't even imagine where I would start looking for someone to do that. I do worry about only being checked for lung mets with chest x-rays every 6 months. The alternative is excessive exposure to radiation from x-rays more frequently which can cause other problems/tumors. I also recently had some brown pigmentation return right smack dab in the middle of my scar. I happened to be in Australia on vacation when I noticed it. I immediately freaked out and took pictures and sent them to my doctor at MD Anderson. He told me they were freckles and to monitor them monthly. MD Anderson has a great patient portal where you can communicate/email your doctor with questions and concerns. They respond really quickly. It may not always be my sugical oncologist that responds, but it will either be him, his fellow/resident, or his nurse who will have spoken with him. directly. MDA is fine oiled machine that takes patient care seriously. So far, I am happy going there. Anyway, hang in there. I definitely understand your stress and anxiety. It comes and goes in waves for me. I try to keep busy with activities and reading. Enjoy your three babies! I am so jealous. We really would have loved to have another child, but just don't want to risk it.  Take care. -Jen

Hello Ash,

   I would definitely try to find a melanoma speciality group in your area. I live in Oklahoma (used to live in Blacksburg, VA-a beautiful place) and was refered to local plastic surgeon to remove my melanoma but cancelled that appoitment and immediately called MD Anderson in Houston, TX. I made an appointment there and had a WLE surgery the next day with a surgical oncologist. Right now I am getting recheck skin checks with my local dermatologist in Oklahoma City (who specialized in skin cancer) every 3 months and recheck exams and chest x-rays at MD Anderson every six months with my surgical oncologist. It's a 7-8 hours drive to Houston, so not too bad. I am toying with the idea of whether I should consult with medical oncologist that specializes in melanoma just to make sure my basis are covered. I think it good to have a foot in the door just in case my condition gets worse (crossing figers), and I need more aggressive treatment. MD Anderson also seems to have clinical trials that go on every now and then.

My husband and I were wanting to have another baby, and I got the okay from MD Anderson and my dermatologist following my surgery (in October 2015), but with this new report on pregnancy, we have decided to not have any other children. I want to be here/alive for my daughter and watch her grow up as long as possible. I know you do too! Thankfully your melanoma was diagnosed early too. I wish I could find someone to do professional photographs. I can't even imagine where I would start looking for someone to do that. I do worry about only being checked for lung mets with chest x-rays every 6 months. The alternative is excessive exposure to radiation from x-rays more frequently which can cause other problems/tumors. I also recently had some brown pigmentation return right smack dab in the middle of my scar. I happened to be in Australia on vacation when I noticed it. I immediately freaked out and took pictures and sent them to my doctor at MD Anderson. He told me they were freckles and to monitor them monthly. MD Anderson has a great patient portal where you can communicate/email your doctor with questions and concerns. They respond really quickly. It may not always be my sugical oncologist that responds, but it will either be him, his fellow/resident, or his nurse who will have spoken with him. directly. MDA is fine oiled machine that takes patient care seriously. So far, I am happy going there. Anyway, hang in there. I definitely understand your stress and anxiety. It comes and goes in waves for me. I try to keep busy with activities and reading. Enjoy your three babies! I am so jealous. We really would have loved to have another child, but just don't want to risk it.  Take care. -Jen

Here is the link to the article you asked for:

Cleveland clinic finds pregnancy-associated melanoma is associated with higher death rates

http://medicalxpress.com/news/2016-01-cleveland-clinic-pregnancy-associated-melanoma-higher.html

Here is the link to the article you asked for:

Cleveland clinic finds pregnancy-associated melanoma is associated with higher death rates

http://medicalxpress.com/news/2016-01-cleveland-clinic-pregnancy-associated-melanoma-higher.html

Here is the link to the article you asked for:

Cleveland clinic finds pregnancy-associated melanoma is associated with higher death rates

http://medicalxpress.com/news/2016-01-cleveland-clinic-pregnancy-associated-melanoma-higher.html

My dermatologist did tell me about the link to breast cancer. Thankfully I don't eat soy (I am from Oklahoma. We eat meat. Ha!) . I didn't know about flax. I do put that in my smoothies. I won't be using that from now on. I might start buying organic milk too. Thanks for that heads up!

My dermatologist did tell me about the link to breast cancer. Thankfully I don't eat soy (I am from Oklahoma. We eat meat. Ha!) . I didn't know about flax. I do put that in my smoothies. I won't be using that from now on. I might start buying organic milk too. Thanks for that heads up!

My dermatologist did tell me about the link to breast cancer. Thankfully I don't eat soy (I am from Oklahoma. We eat meat. Ha!) . I didn't know about flax. I do put that in my smoothies. I won't be using that from now on. I might start buying organic milk too. Thanks for that heads up!