TomW

I had two (arm/chese)melonomas surgically removed a few years ago and had been having visual body checks every 4 months since then and thought there was no problem.    Last june I was having fatigue, balance issues, and feinted and my cardiologist suggested an MRI which detected brain cancer.  Then I had a pet scan that showed cancer throughout my body including lungs.  I want to a oncologist who told me he needed a biopsy to indicate which type of the numerous types of cancer I had.  It turned out to be melanoma and is being treated with immune therapy.  My take-a-way from all of this is talk to an oncologist,  get a pet scan, if he recommends it and if you have cancer and then have a biopsy to find out the kind of cancer you have so it can be treated.  

I was diagnosed with stage 4 last June and had brain swelling, spots on lungs, ribs, etc. I lost my balance and couldn’t walk, had blurry vision, and in general was a mess.  First thing they did was give me steroids to reduce swelling, then brain radiation, and then started immune therapy (keytruda).  After two months I started to feel better and began physical therapy to learn how to walk again.  I received the results of my 1st pet scan after immune therapy and I was responding positively.  I guess my point is that it was two months of hell not knowing if I was going to live or die and really the doctors didn’t know anything until those pet scan results after immune therapy showed what was happening to the cancer cell throughout my body.  Hang in there!

I have stage 4 melanoma.  Initially, I had swelling in brain and had significant balance problems.  After radiation (8 months ago), I have been going to physical therapy on a regular basis. Therapist is very knowledgeable regarding balance problems.   Balance is good now except when I become tired and then I become “wobbly”.