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      • June 25, 2019 at 1:49 am
      Go_Cats215
      Participant
        Hi! You may have already tried this, but I have been reading about how cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) can be beneficial. I recently finished reading “Why We Sleep” and it discusses the shortcomings of traditional sleeping pills/medications, while mentioning CBT-I as one of the more promising treatments available. I experience occasional insomnia, typically when I just can’t shut off my brain, specifically the “what ifs” related to my husband’s melanoma diagnosis. I’m currently implementing all of the sleep hygiene strategies you have tried, but my next plan is to seek out a cognitive behavioral therapist if this is unsuccessful.
        • May 28, 2018 at 7:19 pm
        Go_Cats215
        Participant

          It does seem like your doctor is very proactive based on the initial stage 1a melanoma. In general, I love doctors who are proactive, but since everything has been great news (congrats!!) for the past two years, I would try to find out more information about why this is recommended in your particular case. Mainly I would want to know whether this is their preferred standard of care, or if they are considering you high risk for other reasons (family history, for example). 

          • May 26, 2018 at 12:42 am
          Go_Cats215
          Participant

            Thanks! I did come across several posts discussing how helpful remicade can be in treating side effects from immunotherapy.

            Some studies suggest that longterm use of anti-TNF medications reduce the immune system's surveillance response, theoretically increasing melanoma risk. It seems that the real-life risk is harder to estimate. One physician told us that if someone taking remicade for something else (such as psoriasis) develops melanoma, they contraindicate further use of remicade due to the increased risk, but that there aren't as many treatment options for Crohn's, which makes the decision trickier in those cases. 

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