› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Stage III – need some positive stories
- This topic has 4 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 5 years, 1 month ago by SydneyMel29.
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- March 6, 2019 at 10:31 pm
Hi everyone,
Diagnosed stage III in late 2017 I went on a clinical trial and had my groin nodes removed.
Recent PET scans show another lymph node in pelvic area lit up which will be removed and 12 months of Opdivo.
i guess I’m feeling a bit down about everything this time for some reason so I was hoping for some positive stories or some positive ways to look at this situation.
Thank you in advance
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- March 7, 2019 at 2:31 pm
So sorry to hear of this recent development and I don't blame you for feeling a bit down in the dumps.
However, there is one positive thing to remember and is you are still Stage III.
About a year or so ago I had met a woman whose brother was in a situation similar to yours. Her brother and I had been diagnosed at the same time. It even was the same month and year: December 2010 and we'd even had our lymph node dissections done at the same hospital.
Like me, he'd also had all the lymph nodes removed from under his left arm pit. Like you, within two years of being diagnosed, routine scans revealed that melanoma had spread to some other lymph nodes. For him it was his right arm pit, so he had to have a second lymph node dissection. I don't recall if he had any additional treatment after that second surgery. But regardless, not much was available in the 2011-2012 time frame for Stage III melanoma, anyway.
I had met this fellow's sister in 2017-2018 and aside from those initial struggles she said her brother was doing well. No signs of melanoma or lymphedema. She and I congratulated each other's good fortune and then went our separate ways.
You have a big advantage to someone like this fellow because Opdivo is now available to you. While it's not without some side effects, it's still a huge plus. And, it's a game changer and a great option.
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- March 7, 2019 at 2:51 pm
Hey-I’m stage 3B from 2013-just did surgeries and that’s it and I was officially released from observation in 2018. No more PET scans/hospitals etc! I’m NED! There are tons of stories out there. In fact most people get their NED and never post on this forum again so reading this forum puts a somewhat negative tilt to the total number of melanoma survivors. I keep posting because I know exactly what you are feeling and want you to know that it is possible to beat it!
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- March 7, 2019 at 3:19 pm
Congrats!
I am still on the 2x/year plan until I reach 10 years, which is in 3 more visits. After the 5 year mark, my doctor and I spoke about follow ups and I opted to keep things at 2x/year. I am totally OK with that. After 10 years, we'll do annual visits.
It is possible to beat it! What's more encouraging to see are the Stage IV folks who are doing well.
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- March 8, 2019 at 3:35 am
Thank you so much!
this is a great story and something I will hold onto. I really appreciate you taking the time to respond.
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