UrsulaZ

Here's to stable!! I'm so glad for you. 

-UrsulaZ

Here's to stable!! I'm so glad for you. 

-UrsulaZ

Here's to stable!! I'm so glad for you. 

-UrsulaZ

hi Gaby,

Waiting is so hard. I think everyone on the board can relate to that.

As Jerry says, I think they will be trying to get a sample of the liver lesion, and then there will be more waiting for those results.

I am also 38. Back when I was in stage III, I thought that moving to stage IV would mark the beginning of my death. But Gaby, that isn't true anymore. There are so many possibilties, even if those nodules ARE melanoma. And hopefully they are not. 

(good for him tolerating the whole course of Interferon! — I tried, and couldn't stand more than a few months).

Try to stay busy. I know it's dumb advice, but extra worry won't change the outcome. 

Do you live in Argentina? 

Ursula

hi Gaby,

Waiting is so hard. I think everyone on the board can relate to that.

As Jerry says, I think they will be trying to get a sample of the liver lesion, and then there will be more waiting for those results.

I am also 38. Back when I was in stage III, I thought that moving to stage IV would mark the beginning of my death. But Gaby, that isn't true anymore. There are so many possibilties, even if those nodules ARE melanoma. And hopefully they are not. 

(good for him tolerating the whole course of Interferon! — I tried, and couldn't stand more than a few months).

Try to stay busy. I know it's dumb advice, but extra worry won't change the outcome. 

Do you live in Argentina? 

Ursula

hi Gaby,

Waiting is so hard. I think everyone on the board can relate to that.

As Jerry says, I think they will be trying to get a sample of the liver lesion, and then there will be more waiting for those results.

I am also 38. Back when I was in stage III, I thought that moving to stage IV would mark the beginning of my death. But Gaby, that isn't true anymore. There are so many possibilties, even if those nodules ARE melanoma. And hopefully they are not. 

(good for him tolerating the whole course of Interferon! — I tried, and couldn't stand more than a few months).

Try to stay busy. I know it's dumb advice, but extra worry won't change the outcome. 

Do you live in Argentina? 

Ursula

Snow, fevers, small bowel resections and unexpected bills? For goodness' sake! 

I don't know about the flu shot — but I think it's wise to go to the pediatrician with your 4 y.o. (careful on the roads!). I have a four-year-old too, and I can just imagine the scene. 

Hang in there. We're rooting for your family. Having the laundry done is not trivial — though by the time of writing, I'm sure it's not done anymore 😉

-Ursula 

Snow, fevers, small bowel resections and unexpected bills? For goodness' sake! 

I don't know about the flu shot — but I think it's wise to go to the pediatrician with your 4 y.o. (careful on the roads!). I have a four-year-old too, and I can just imagine the scene. 

Hang in there. We're rooting for your family. Having the laundry done is not trivial — though by the time of writing, I'm sure it's not done anymore 😉

-Ursula 

Snow, fevers, small bowel resections and unexpected bills? For goodness' sake! 

I don't know about the flu shot — but I think it's wise to go to the pediatrician with your 4 y.o. (careful on the roads!). I have a four-year-old too, and I can just imagine the scene. 

Hang in there. We're rooting for your family. Having the laundry done is not trivial — though by the time of writing, I'm sure it's not done anymore 😉

-Ursula 

hi Michele — 

I had radiation to my left groin area following surgery & concurrent with a course of Interferon (I was in stage III at the time).

I don't have any brilliant advice, but do want to reinforce something that you've already noticed. The medical oncology and radiation oncology worlds don't communicate with each other much at all!

The med onc guys (locally and at Sloan Kettering) both seemed to think it was an utter waste of time to get radiation. And the radiation oncologist thought it was totally obvious that I would have it. . 

I don't think there is much evidence in the medical literature that radiation changes the prognosis.  But the prognosis in the past has been so gloomy that I think there is a "might as well try" kind of attitude. 

Radiation isn't benign, though. I now have some pretty serious lymphedema in that leg, which I suspect is more from radiation than from the surgery. Now that the ipi/nivo seems to have worked for now, my leg is bothering me a fair bit. (When I chose it, I believed that I didn't have more than a few months to live, so I wasn't very worried about a chronic condition like lymphedema. So it's a blessing in its way, I guess). 

Good luck, Michele. Let us know what you decide? Sorry that your husband is in stage IV. I hope he responds really well to the Ipi!

-ursula

hi Michele — 

I had radiation to my left groin area following surgery & concurrent with a course of Interferon (I was in stage III at the time).

I don't have any brilliant advice, but do want to reinforce something that you've already noticed. The medical oncology and radiation oncology worlds don't communicate with each other much at all!

The med onc guys (locally and at Sloan Kettering) both seemed to think it was an utter waste of time to get radiation. And the radiation oncologist thought it was totally obvious that I would have it. . 

I don't think there is much evidence in the medical literature that radiation changes the prognosis.  But the prognosis in the past has been so gloomy that I think there is a "might as well try" kind of attitude. 

Radiation isn't benign, though. I now have some pretty serious lymphedema in that leg, which I suspect is more from radiation than from the surgery. Now that the ipi/nivo seems to have worked for now, my leg is bothering me a fair bit. (When I chose it, I believed that I didn't have more than a few months to live, so I wasn't very worried about a chronic condition like lymphedema. So it's a blessing in its way, I guess). 

Good luck, Michele. Let us know what you decide? Sorry that your husband is in stage IV. I hope he responds really well to the Ipi!

-ursula

hi Michele — 

I had radiation to my left groin area following surgery & concurrent with a course of Interferon (I was in stage III at the time).

I don't have any brilliant advice, but do want to reinforce something that you've already noticed. The medical oncology and radiation oncology worlds don't communicate with each other much at all!

The med onc guys (locally and at Sloan Kettering) both seemed to think it was an utter waste of time to get radiation. And the radiation oncologist thought it was totally obvious that I would have it. . 

I don't think there is much evidence in the medical literature that radiation changes the prognosis.  But the prognosis in the past has been so gloomy that I think there is a "might as well try" kind of attitude. 

Radiation isn't benign, though. I now have some pretty serious lymphedema in that leg, which I suspect is more from radiation than from the surgery. Now that the ipi/nivo seems to have worked for now, my leg is bothering me a fair bit. (When I chose it, I believed that I didn't have more than a few months to live, so I wasn't very worried about a chronic condition like lymphedema. So it's a blessing in its way, I guess). 

Good luck, Michele. Let us know what you decide? Sorry that your husband is in stage IV. I hope he responds really well to the Ipi!

-ursula

Yes. Ibuprofen helped somewhat. And I wore a lot of sweaters 🙂 Good luck.

Yes. Ibuprofen helped somewhat. And I wore a lot of sweaters 🙂 Good luck.

Yes. Ibuprofen helped somewhat. And I wore a lot of sweaters 🙂 Good luck.