kathycmc

First of all you should have access to your path report and have it explained in detail to you before there is talk of surgery.  I had in situ removed from my back and needed a skin graft as well to close the excision site.  I wouldn't have wanted to do that without general anesthesia.  Most melanomas are removed by general surgeons so that isn't a problem but you should not be pressured by anyone, Dr. or family, to have a procedure done in a way that you're not comfortable with.  I also dont think this is appropriate to do in an office setting unless they have a specialized sterile surgical room that is used just for this type of procedure.  As for "eyeballing it" I believe there are standardized clear margins that your surgeon should know about.

No one knows how long melanoma stays "in situ" before it grows into and below the skin level.  That is why it is important to have skin checks and do self checks frequently.  Melanoma "in situ" is cancer.  It is cancer that has not penetrated the dermis (skin) and so is outside of the body and, therefore, not supposed to be able to metastasize.  The cancer is the same but the other stages of melanoma have penetrated the dermis and have increasingly greater risk of metastasis depending on how deep the progression is.

Hi Kiera.  My daughter was 24 when she was diagnosed.  For her it was nodular melanoma on her neck and she ended up staged at 3b  Your Dr. should not have said that to you.  He is not even a melanoma specialist.  When we asked my daughters melanoma specialist about percentages and such he told us flat out that our daughter is not a number.  You just cannot know who will have progression of disease and who will not.  It is not unusual to have pain after surgery so I wouldnt be troubled by that.  By the way, my daughter has not had any progression after her surgery and is now 5 years NED.  Try not to worry.

I follow this forum for my daughter because it gives me assurance that people survive melanoma.  She's diagnosed IIIb.  An existing mole on her right neck started to change color.  Biopsy showed nodular melanoma.  WLE and SLN showed all clear.  I month later a nearby lymph node was enlarged.  FNA showed melanoma.  Lymph node dissection of 26 nodes and part of parotid gland removed,  Except for the one lymph node all was clear.  Completed 3 rounds of biochemotherapy.  Just celebrated 5 years NED.

Just as a reassurance I had melanoma in situ 44 years ago and, though I've had many moles/spots biopsied, have not had any further problems.  My daughter, however, has stage 3b melanoma (5 yrs. NED).  I am surprised that with your family history your doctors made you wait so long for a simple biopsy.  I've had some moles removed just because they were in areas that were irritating under clothes or prone to be scratched.  Please make your doctors listen to you in the future or find new doctors.  It's easy for them to say it is nothing but it is your life.

Botox is approved for migraine headaches and to decrease abnormal muscle tone in the calf muscles of kids with cerebral palsy. The issue is whether your doctor will prescribe it and your insurance company will pay for it.  Your condition is called torticollis and botox would be a logical thing to try.  They can inject a little and then increase the amount after a couple of weeks if needed.  Some physical therapists (in some states) are trained in "dry needling" where nothing is injected and that is a covered procedure.  

My daughter just went through this.  Her melanoma was nodular and on her neck.  She had lymph node dissection on the right side 5 years ago.  Recently a lymph node under her chin was enlarged.  It too fluctuated in size but on a daily basis.  She opted to have it removed and biopsied just to be on the safe side. It turned out to be benign – no infection, nothing.  

My daughter was diagnosed at 24 years old with nodular melanoma in a re-existing mole on her neck.  She is staged at 3b and is now 5 years NED.  I know this is scary but try not to look too far ahead.  Once you know what stage you are then you can explore options for treatment if any is needed.  Waiting is always horrible.  

My daughter had this surgery 5 years ago.  Her Dr. warned her that there might be nerve damage that would affect the corner of her mouth.  Apparently one of the facial nerves doesn't like being even slightly touched.  She did have this happen and it affected her smile for a couple of years but has gradually gotten much better and only those who know can even tell.  I know all surgeries are differnent but If your Dr. hasnt mentioned this be sure to ask. Also, depending on how much surrounding tissue they remove know that there will be asymetry of your neck and lower face.  It doesn't look bad and again no one who doesn't know she had surgery notices.  Her recovery was pretty straight forward without much discomfort and now you have to look closely to see the scar although it has widened some since immediately post op. I hope all goes well with your surgery and recovery.  

When you say "early retirement" does that mean your husband has a pension or retirement payout?  He can have investments but SSDI won't be approved if he has other monthly income.  If he does apply for SSDI the best way to not be denied is to answer the questions "creatively".  You almost have to be completely dependent on another person for performing daily activities to qualify.  There are books and online tools available to help you fill out the application.

There are 2 basic types of sunscreen.  One uses chemicals as a barrier and one uses minerals as a barrier.  There are also some that use both.  The typical ones you find in most stores are chemical based and they are more likely to stain your clothes.  The mineral based ones are usually drier in texture and non-staining.  Either way make sure the sunscreen is dry on your skin before you go out in the sun. 

I had melanoma in situ at age 16.  WLE and no follow up except skin checks.  Multiple moles removed but all were negative for melanoma.  My daughter also had a couple of moles removed in her teenage years and all were negative.  At age 24 she had a mole come back positive for nodular melanoma.  2 surgeries and treatment of 3 courses of biochemotherapy.  She is staged as IIIb and is 5 years NED.  Praying for you and your little one.

I should probably mention that her first surgery (WLE and SNB) was performed by a general surgeon and a plastic surgeon for skin graft.  Results were not good.  The second surgery (the lymph node disection) was performed by an ENT who specializes in head and neck oncology.  World of difference.