Melanoma Research Foundation | Steve33 | Activity https://forum.melanoma.org/user/steve33/activity/ Activity feed for Steve33. Tue, 21 Apr 2026 18:10:01 -0400 https://buddypress.org/?v= en-US 30 hourly 2 541699a5f5a79fc307e148724afcc7e5 Steve33 started the topic 4 Year NED and Question on Follow-up Scans / Insurance Issues in the forum General Melanoma Community https://forum.melanoma.org/forums/topic/4-year-ned-and-question-on-follow-up-scans-insurance-issues/ Tue, 05 Dec 2023 20:06:01 -0500 Hi All,

Writing here today as I celebrate 4 years NED! (Stage 3B). I pray for those on this forum who are fighting and hope this message brings hope.

I’m curious what others have been doing in terms of scanning frequency after 3 years NED. There is a growing disconnect between my doctors recommendations and what insurance will cover.

After 3…Read more

]]> 2b25cad53ee1ae14c72fb83fdf4de5c3 Steve33 replied to the topic Brand New Stage 3B in the forum General Melanoma Community https://forum.melanoma.org/forums/topic/brand-new-stage-3b/#post-276543 Thu, 31 Mar 2022 00:47:36 -0400 Hi Mia,

The initial thyroid issues were really the only issues I had through my immunotherapy treatment. I felt pretty tired the day I received treatment but that was it!

Steve

]]> 378d718b19213b0ab3fa2f2561ca9c81 Steve33 replied to the topic Brand New Stage 3B in the forum General Melanoma Community https://forum.melanoma.org/forums/topic/brand-new-stage-3b/#post-276500 Wed, 23 Mar 2022 00:11:49 -0400 Hi Mia,

I had a very similar experience. I was also 3B and received adjuvant Opdivo. I became very hyperthyroid basically immediately after 1st infusion. Enough that I was symptomatic hyperthyroid (felt jumpy, heart racing, weight loss, irritable). Then within 2-3 months I swung down to very hypothyroid. TSH shot up to 90+. Basically my thyroid…Read more

]]> 373a7d3615b3ac9217000d2989e94a7c Steve33 started the topic NED for 2 Years in the forum General Melanoma Community https://forum.melanoma.org/forums/topic/ned-for-2-years-2/ Sat, 18 Dec 2021 12:53:58 -0500 Hi All,

This board has been a tremendous provider of information. It’s also been a great source of hope based on the success stories of others.

With that, I am delighted to share that I am now 2 years NED! My scan frequency has been reduced to 6 months.

Originally stage 3B. Received adjuvant Opdivo and radiation after Parotidectomy.

Steve

]]> 5d9d87459589694d987fcfa0bb469016 Steve33 replied to the topic Synthroid vs. Lexothyroxidine for Hypothyroidism as an Adverse Event of Immuno in the forum General Melanoma Community https://forum.melanoma.org/forums/topic/synthroid-vs-lexothyroxidine-for-hypothyroidism-as-an-adverse-event-of-immuno/#post-275267 Fri, 02 Jul 2021 15:20:54 -0400 I’ve also been taking levothyroxine for about 1.5 years without issue. My TSH has been in stable range once my docs figured out the dosage. I’ve never taken the Synthroid brand but I assume it’s more expensive vs the generic levothyroxine. I pay ~$20 for 90 days after insurance.

]]> 597969e3918d7656dd1a39e8aab1b34e Steve33 replied to the topic Thyroid in the forum Cutaneous Melanoma Community https://forum.melanoma.org/forums/topic/thyroid-3/#post-274745 Sat, 22 May 2021 01:13:44 -0400 Hi Cindy,

It is definitely not uncommon for immunotherapy to affect the thyroid. I received Nivolumab monotherapy. My thyroid before extremely overactive after the first treatment (hyperthyroid). After about a month, my thyroid basically stopped working and I became hypothyroid. My TSH shot up to about 80. I started on synthroid (levothyroxine).…Read more

]]> 563f121bb87a58bbd06ee81c4612a8f5 Steve33 started the topic Fertility after Immunotherapy in the forum General Melanoma Community https://forum.melanoma.org/forums/topic/fertility-after-immunotherapy/ Wed, 05 May 2021 18:27:44 -0400 Hello everybody,

Does anybody have any direct experience or stories to share regarding fertility impacts from Immunotherapy? Or come across any trials or papers with information?  I finished adjuvant Opdivo in 11/2020. My wife and I would like to start a family. My oncologist recommends pursuing artificial insemmination vía sperm I banked prior t…Read more

]]> 4c876c907de40dd09021268dc8310929 Steve33 replied to the topic What do you say at work about your cancer? in the forum General Melanoma Community https://forum.melanoma.org/forums/topic/what-do-you-say-at-work-about-your-cancer/#post-274444 Thu, 01 Apr 2021 15:54:53 -0400 Juggling my melanoma diagnosis &  work was also something I was concerned about originally and caused me a lot of stress, but there are a lot of laws in the USA that helped me feel a lot better about it. HIPPA privacy laws basically protect you from having to disclose your diagnosis as well as protects you from being discriminated for health…Read more

]]> 967230763dae5300d981e4470cb14591 Steve33 replied to the topic COVID VACCINE & IMMUNOTHERAPY in the forum General Melanoma Community https://forum.melanoma.org/forums/topic/covid-vaccine-immunotherapy/#post-273923 Sun, 17 Jan 2021 18:38:57 -0500 I took my first vaccine shot 2.5 days ago. I developed a fever about 18hrs later. Fever lasted about 24 hrs then subsided. Overall, my experience with COVID vaccine is very similar to what I’ve experienced with flu vaccine.

]]> 450b5d7d2d1a019fc16ed9b83cbb9400 Steve33 replied to the topic COVID VACCINE & IMMUNOTHERAPY in the forum General Melanoma Community https://forum.melanoma.org/forums/topic/covid-vaccine-immunotherapy/#post-273886 Tue, 12 Jan 2021 02:43:55 -0500 Thank you for the link!  Very helpful

]]> 81b248a539d687630b38b7787eb09e3c Steve33 started the topic COVID VACCINE & IMMUNOTHERAPY in the forum General Melanoma Community https://forum.melanoma.org/forums/topic/covid-vaccine-immunotherapy/ Mon, 11 Jan 2021 17:03:45 -0500 Hi All,

Has anyone received any concrete guidance from their doctors are see articles on receiving the COVID vaccine while receiving immunotherapy?

I became eligible to receive the vaccine this week through my immunotherapy infusion center in Florida. I reached out to my doc @ MDA for guidance and wasn’t provided with much of a recommendation. T…Read more

]]>