BillB

Congrats!!!!!!!!!

You have lots of questions, If you would like to call me tomorrow morning and talk I can give you all of the information you need. Let me know and I will provide you my info.

Bill

Also, although it seems like you must do something this minute you do have time to do it “right”.  It won’t change anything in the short term. I contacted MSK and visited with my surgeon, plastic surgeon and oncologist 8 days after I contacted them. I had my first surgery 8 days after the first meeting. The care I was provided was outstanding! Once you’re familiar with moving around the city it was very easy to get everywhere.

Bill B

 

 

Hi, I to am from upstate NY. Best decision I ever made was to go to Memorial Sloan Kettering. They got me in very quickly, and they know exactly what to do. If your oncologist is not just a melanoma expert you need to see someone who only treats melanoma.

I was diagnosed 2c in November 2016, stage 3c March/April 2017, and stage 4 August 2017. It can move very quickly and you husband should receive the best treatment he can get, ” but go to a melanoma specialist” and let them determine what to do next(Hi Celeste how am I doing !).

You are welcome to contact me if you would like and I can provide you with all the information you need.

Bill B

Four years Ned today. Just got results of my scans and consider myself extremely lucky and fortunate. Good luck to everyone, and I don’t like this forums format. The old forum was much nicer. Shoutout to everyone (celeste, Ed, et al  etc) to keep up the great work you have been doing for so long!

Bill

Good Luck Bill, I had a nodular melanoma Breslow 7 mm, perineural and vascular invasion, ulcerated, mitotic rate 15. Not good since nodular melanomas are extremely aggressive. But, and there is always a but, when I advanced to stage 4 and began immunotherapy I responded immediately to Keytruda and have been NED for 3 years. Hope that helps a little. If you have any questions please contact me.
Again Good Luck!
Bill

Hi Bruce, this just my opinion and not backed by any research, but I would say you would still get some benefit. Here’s my rational. During discussions with my oncologist at MSK I was informed thatf keytruda has been detected in patients systems up to 3 months after infusion ( that is medical info). I even gradually decreased my infusion frequency over time out to three months before I discontinued. So, I would think the opdivo will be in your system over most of the course of ipi infusions. Whether its of any help. I don’t know. Im confident Ed or Celeste has probably looked at this or has some relevant studies to help you out.
Good Luck,
Bill

Hi, I’m sure your doctors will provide you with instruction before the scan. Here is MSK provided me prior to a PET scan. I hope the cut and paste works.

Instructions for eating and drinking before your procedure

Do not eat anything after midnight the night before your surgery. This includes hard candy and gum.
Between midnight and up until 2 hours before your scheduled arrival time, you may drink a total of 12 ounces of water (see figure).
Starting 2 hours before your scheduled arrival time, do not eat or drink anything. This includes water.

Hope that helps
Bill

Thanks Celeste. Ive been here all along just don’t like this format. If I can add something that you, Ed and Jackie don’t cover I will. Hope all is well with you!

Bill

Good Luck! I did single agent Keytruda and had a very fast complete responses or metastasis to my lung. I also had Mel in the parotid gland.
Bill