Newly diagnosed T1b

Hi Bobby,

Welcome!  I'm glad you found us.  The internet can be a scary place for melanoma information, but you've found a good place here.  

Being diagnosed with mel can be a life changer.  The best thing you can do now is to educate yourself on stage 2 and stage 3 melanoma AND be seen by a melanoma specialist – someone who sees a lot of melanoma.  

Bubbles, one of the members here has put together a primer on melanoma treatment.  You can find that info here:

https://chaoticallypreciselifeloveandmelanoma.blogspot.com/2017/08/melanoma-intel-primer-for-current.html

Of course the links above in the MRF site are very good and up to date, too!  Be careful with other sites as the treatment of Melanoma has changed (and is changing) rapidly and many sites aren't up to date (this is also true with Doctors and why you want to find one that sees lots of Mel).

You will have questions, ask away!  And if you need help finding a mel specialist, start a new topic with something like "looking for a mel doc in _____"  and if someone knows of one, they'll respond.  

Wishing you peace,

Julie

Hello there!  Sorry to have to meet you here but you will find wealth of honest and accurate information here.

1st – congrats on the early catch!  I am a fellow Stage 1b'er and even though having this crappy cancer sucks, we caught it early and our odds of a good outcome are in our favor.  Try to remember that even though I know how hard it is, especially at first diagnosis.   

Your dermatologist made the right call sending you to the cancer center.  Hopefully they have a department/oncologist that specializes in melanoma.   What I expect you to find is that the onc will want to perform a SLNB at the time the lesion is removed to check those lymph nodes.  This is standard proceedure on any lessions deeper than .75mm.   If the lymph node biopsy comes back clear, you will remain a Stage 1b and most likely your follow up treatment will be healing from the removal of the lession and dermatologist skin checks every 3 months for 2-3 years.  My melanoma was cultaneous, yours states nodular, so if anyone else is reading this and had a different avenue of treatment for nodular mel, please advise Bobbie.

If the lymph nodes show evidence of mel,  they will proceed to check literally everything else via CT scans, PET scans, MRI, etc etc.  Depending what that reveals, you will be given a definitive stage which will be a whole other post filled with new questions.

BUT for today you are a Stage 1b, a good place to be.  It is fearful, the testing and waiting for results sucks.  The unknown sucks.  As you go through this journey, keep some things in mind:

-its ok to shut down as long as you get back up.  A melanoma patient has just as much right to feel anxious than anyone else with any type of cancer.  But you have to condition yourself to look at the good of your situation no matter what.  Whether it be an early state diagnosis or the fact that your diagnosis came in a time where wonderful advancement in treatment of melanoma are upon us.

-The anxiety you are feeling today will get better with time, more knowledge, a good medical team and support from family and friends.

-Leave the googling alone.  Only visit reputable sites like this one….and even this one can be tough for early stagers.  Most of what you see online are of individuals who have advanced disease or have the "rare" instances.  They do not accurately represent the outcomes of the general melanoma public.  Early stage mel patients NORMALLY have very good outcomes and live many years never seeing mel again.  Some don't.  No one has a crystal ball and there are things in this world you cannot control (that was a hard one for me).  Live in the moment.  Do not fear what has not yet happened.  Deal with what is on the table today.

-To answer your question…do not be scared.  Be aware.  Arm yourself with knowledge and a good medical support team that you have confidence in and make you feel you are not alone in monitoring your health.  You cannot tend to your overall health if you are scared, anxious, not sleeping or eating correctly.  

You know…I am so long winded…I could go on, but those are some highlights.  Find comfort that you found your lesion early and as you gain knowledge through experience, it only makes you stronger and more apt to find anything else that may  or MAY NOT come your way.  As you keep us updated, we can shed more light on the processes you are going through.  I had a very hard time in the beginning so I have been there.  I finally realized I have to focus on the positive and have some faith that He will walk with me on this path and all with be ok.

Prayers and best wishes you.  Keep in touch.