Melanoma Research Foundation | Finem Respice | Activity https://forum.melanoma.org/user/finemrespice/activity/ Activity feed for Finem Respice. Mon, 06 Apr 2026 15:01:26 -0400 https://buddypress.org/?v= en-US 30 hourly 2 6191557ceab0ef41fdb054e46f3bf7f4 Finem Respice replied to the topic Melanoma lymph node resection on neck in the forum General Melanoma Community https://forum.melanoma.org/forums/topic/melanoma-lymph-node-resection-on-neck/#post-279020 Tue, 08 Aug 2023 14:44:56 -0400 JudiAU, thanks for sharing your story. I agree that the scars are looking good (at 5 weeks post-surgery) and will continue to get better. Glad to hear that some nerve damage gets better. Right now my left ear is still completely numb and I have several other numb areas down my neck even to on my left shoulder.
Remember that for me, I was…Read more

]]> 81dfe20aa66037751bdb6da7563256d9 Finem Respice replied to the topic complications and issues with docs in the forum General Melanoma Community https://forum.melanoma.org/forums/topic/complications-and-issues-with-docs/#post-278943 Sat, 22 Jul 2023 15:27:50 -0400 How are you doing? I am only 2 weeks after my neck dissection, and have a slew of nerve issues. To be fair, they did tell me most of them were possible, and that while some may abate, others may be permanent. The biggest issue is that my left ear feels like a block of wood! Even once my wounds have healed, I cannot imaging being able to sleep…Read more

]]> 5960055325ef50903feba825a165b3b2 Finem Respice started the topic Melanoma and BRAF in the forum General Melanoma Community https://forum.melanoma.org/forums/topic/melanoma-and-braf/ Sat, 22 Jul 2023 15:20:09 -0400 After my biopsy was done, the report noted:

Left neck lymph node was biopsied under ultrasound on 6/12/2023. The
results showed melanoma (SOX10 strongly positive, melan A strongly positive

I had specifically asked about what “markers” my melanoma showed, and this was it.

But yesterday I asked specifically about the BRAF/V600E mutation, as many…Read more

]]> f106f08daec621d944989c71ebc3878b Finem Respice replied to the topic Melanoma treatments and quality of life in the forum General Melanoma Community https://forum.melanoma.org/forums/topic/melanoma-treatments-and-quality-of-life/#post-278939 Fri, 21 Jul 2023 12:38:10 -0400 One confusing thing is that I asked about what particular “markers” my melanoma has, and they told me it was SOX10 and MELAN-A. NOT BRAF. So I am not really sure what difference that makes.

]]> 9c51c62f2d3453002458c4498234abd2 Finem Respice replied to the topic Melanoma treatments and quality of life in the forum General Melanoma Community https://forum.melanoma.org/forums/topic/melanoma-treatments-and-quality-of-life/#post-278938 Fri, 21 Jul 2023 12:35:23 -0400 @AshyR I literally just finished How To Starve Cancer yesterday, and I am now just aware of what you have pointed out. Up until now, my reading has been more about cancer generally, but now I have to focus on my melanoma, and figure out what I need to do. I had already been doing Keto (albeit not always strictly) so it was not hard to imagine…Read more

]]> b7d73ec638731e412d3032074cc93b69 Finem Respice replied to the topic Melanoma treatments and quality of life in the forum General Melanoma Community https://forum.melanoma.org/forums/topic/melanoma-treatments-and-quality-of-life/#post-278924 Wed, 19 Jul 2023 14:23:05 -0400 I am now 2 weeks out from my neck dissection for my stage 3 melanoma. It is healing
okay, but it is a pretty big surgery. There will likely be some long-term effects, such
as numbness from my ear down through my neck, and even to my shoulder. Of course, if
the cancer has been completely removed, these will be small potatoes! But it’s…Read more

]]> c97cd9dadf1677545d36b37ba4fbb4d2 Finem Respice replied to the topic Melanoma lymph node resection on neck in the forum General Melanoma Community https://forum.melanoma.org/forums/topic/melanoma-lymph-node-resection-on-neck/#post-278880 Tue, 11 Jul 2023 15:29:50 -0400 Thanks, I just got back from getting my two drains taken out. All looks good and I am pleased. They told me that they removed 42 lymph nodes, and only two showed the melanoma, and one of those was already known. They said it would about 6 weeks total for everything to heal up.

]]> 06c7644819ed1a410a3232f6e9dc8c1e Finem Respice started the topic Home after neck dissection for melanoma in the forum General Melanoma Community https://forum.melanoma.org/forums/topic/home-after-neck-dissection-for-melanoma/ Thu, 06 Jul 2023 23:58:21 -0400 I recently posted about my new diagnosis of stage 3 melanoma. Fortunately, Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa got me in in about 3 weeks or so.

I just got home from my neck lymph node dissection (yesterday)… They will be doing more biopsies of the material removed. If it does not show more cancer than was found in the original swollen lymph node, I…Read more

]]> 4e3d11340ea09c0abbe64f8dc24aa67c Finem Respice replied to the topic Metabolic therapy for cancer in the forum General Melanoma Community https://forum.melanoma.org/forums/topic/metabolic-therapy-for-cancer/#post-278841 Sun, 02 Jul 2023 12:23:13 -0400 I have heard of them and understand that it is likely I will take that route. I have done almost nothing for the last 2 weeks (I was officially diagnosed with stage 3 melanoma on June 14) but read books and articles as well as Youtube videos to learn about metabolic treatments for cancer. I am just about finished reading Miriam Kalmanian’s Keto…Read more

]]> a4215123d91c73fe08a6a02428f362ef Finem Respice started the topic Melanoma lymph node resection on neck in the forum General Melanoma Community https://forum.melanoma.org/forums/topic/melanoma-lymph-node-resection-on-neck/ Thu, 29 Jun 2023 10:27:06 -0400 Here’s an update for my melanoma journey.

I just got my neck dissection surgery scheduled for next Wednesday at Moffitt in Tampa… so a little nervous about that. It is not as simple as “just remove this little nodule from your neck”. But it is melanoma and it has to come out.
If anyone else has had this type of lymph node dissection, I would l…Read more

]]> 695af953531a95f355e92505e371a7a5 Finem Respice replied to the topic Melanoma treatments and quality of life in the forum General Melanoma Community https://forum.melanoma.org/forums/topic/melanoma-treatments-and-quality-of-life/#post-278772 Tue, 20 Jun 2023 19:35:27 -0400 I am replying to my original thread, so that everyone who replied to me can see it.

Today I had my first appointment with my oncologist to talk about what they found and what my options are. The good news is that there were no other spots visible on the scans, anywhere on my body besides my neck lymph node.
Because of this, I am 99% sure that…Read more

]]> 6b7ec88d2e5664cd55569c3147ad8983 Finem Respice replied to the topic Melanoma treatments and quality of life in the forum General Melanoma Community https://forum.melanoma.org/forums/topic/melanoma-treatments-and-quality-of-life/#post-278771 Tue, 20 Jun 2023 19:31:50 -0400 Chris, thanks for sharing your story. What you described sound like your colitis and adrenal issues were caused by the immuno-therapy drugs. Is that true? If so, that is exactly what I do NOT want, at least not at this stage. FWIW I will be posting the results of my consult today with the oncologist here soon.

Mitchell

]]> 53a65c5934d4b5d9a0a588442ebd450a Finem Respice replied to the topic Melanoma treatments and quality of life in the forum General Melanoma Community https://forum.melanoma.org/forums/topic/melanoma-treatments-and-quality-of-life/#post-278769 Tue, 20 Jun 2023 13:04:47 -0400 @Bubbles (I love your name!)

Very good points. I will post again when I have the information from today’s visit.

Even this:

>>>>Some folks make it for many years with no recurrence after simple resection

makes me feel better!

Mitchell

]]> bdf918fa9a3dfc6d8dfa6000a1ad49d8 Finem Respice started the topic Metabolic therapy for cancer in the forum General Melanoma Community https://forum.melanoma.org/forums/topic/metabolic-therapy-for-cancer/ Tue, 20 Jun 2023 12:06:19 -0400 I was looking for alternative therapies for cancer, and I was afraid that most of them would seem, well, a little kooky (sorry, but that’s what I thought).
I found one, however, that seems to be both outside the mainstream standard-of-care, but yet very well represented in the scientific literature, including at least one Nobel Prize (Warburg),…Read more

]]> dd4770bb3cb33b5f8f2bc3059046830d Finem Respice replied to the topic Melanoma treatments and quality of life in the forum General Melanoma Community https://forum.melanoma.org/forums/topic/melanoma-treatments-and-quality-of-life/#post-278763 Tue, 20 Jun 2023 10:36:34 -0400 @Bubbles, thanks for your thoughtful reply detailing your experiences with cancer therapy. I will be going to my first meeting with my oncologist at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa later this morning. I expect that he will do an exam, as well as go over my CT imaging. I fully expect him to give me some prognosis along with a recommended…Read more

]]> 42c002649f81fe92fb13036f346825a6 Finem Respice started the topic Melanoma treatments and quality of life in the forum General Melanoma Community https://forum.melanoma.org/forums/topic/melanoma-treatments-and-quality-of-life/ Mon, 19 Jun 2023 09:08:51 -0400 I have been looking at many online articles (medical/research) about melanoma treatments prior to my first (!) appointment with an oncologist tomorrow.
I am already well aware of the primary targeted and immuno-therapy treatments, and have read several books about the treatment of melanoma and cancer in general.
But actually reading the abstracts…Read more

]]> 15ac357ef33e26e2c45c4e86055e02cd Finem Respice replied to the topic On the Fence with Immunotherapy in the forum General Melanoma Community https://forum.melanoma.org/forums/topic/on-the-fence-with-immunotherapy/#post-278754 Sun, 18 Jun 2023 00:25:20 -0400 I am almost in the exact same position as you are. I just got my biopsy results and have not even seen my oncologist yet (Tuesday).
I am very concerned about quality of life issues, and am also not sure if I want to to immuno-therapy. I realize that the pressure from the doctors will be enormous.

]]> 24a86d710465d3fa47485f84618cfcb5 Finem Respice became a registered member https://forum.melanoma.org/activity/p/63555/ Sun, 11 Jun 2023 12:40:44 -0400 0