It's Melanoma: Welcome to My Recovery Thread!

[theDoctorisIn]

Good luck, man.

Chemo sucks, but it's better than dying. Make sure you explore all your options.

 

[MeBelle]

Had the stitches removed today, Doc said it's healing nicely. We discussed further treatment if it's stage 4 and he agreed that Holistic Therapies can help in conjuction with the treatment he wants to put me on. But I knew he was gonna' say that anyway.

He did give me a referal to Hershey Medical Center so now I don't have to drive to disgusting, dirty and depressing Baltimore! (I've always hated that town!) And he's gonna' give me a Doctors note so I can invoke FMLA if I need to.

Lecture first: I'm very surprised you didn't catch that mass earlier. Remember how you got all over Ollie's case when he had a heart attack? /lecture

I'm a melanoma survivor.
I had surgery and they cut a hunk out of my calf.
It's barely noticable 14 years later.
I have to have screenings every year and chest xrays every other year.
So far so good!

As to chemo, everyone reacts differently.
I would do it if it's the only alternative

Prayers your way!

 

[Mad Scientist]

Lecture first: I'm very surprised you didn't catch that mass earlier. Remember how you got all over Ollie's case when he had a heart attack? /lecture

I'm a melanoma survivor.
I had surgery and they cut a hunk out of my calf.
It's barely noticable 14 years later.
I have to have screenings every year and chest xrays every other year.
So far so good!

As to chemo, everyone reacts differently.
I would do it if it's the only alternative

Prayers your way!

Well first off MeBelle thank you for replying and thank your for your Prayers!

As I remember it, Ollie claimed he was in good shape but I said he was overweight and had bad circulation BEFORE he had his heart attack. I left him alone after that.

And yes, I should have gone to the Doctor sooner. My wife was pushing me to do it for the previous 6 months but I didn't and this is the result.

Did you see the pictures I posted in the link? I saw the Doctor earlier this week and she (imagine a young, female Woody Allen) had some interesting observations: More skin should have been removed, about a softball sized area. Also to prevent having a bald spot in the back she could remove the rest of my hair and rotate it around so that it covers the spot! Are you f*ckin' kidin' me?

Then she starts talking about Interferon. She has no idea i'm not gonna' do ANY of that but I listen politely. I have an appointment in a few weeks to see if it's reached my Lymph Nodes which means Stage 4 and a roughly 10 or 20 percent chance at survival. But that's only if I go by their treatment regimen, and I'm not.

 

[MeBelle]

Lecture first: I'm very surprised you didn't catch that mass earlier. Remember how you got all over Ollie's case when he had a heart attack? /lecture

I'm a melanoma survivor.
I had surgery and they cut a hunk out of my calf.
It's barely noticable 14 years later.
I have to have screenings every year and chest xrays every other year.
So far so good!

As to chemo, everyone reacts differently.
I would do it if it's the only alternative

Prayers your way!

Well first off MeBelle thank you for replying and thank your for your Prayers!

As I remember it, Ollie claimed he was in good shape but I said he was overweight and had bad circulation BEFORE he had his heart attack. I left him alone after that.

And yes, I should have gone to the Doctor sooner. My wife was pushing me to do it for the previous 6 months but I didn't and this is the result.

Did you see the pictures I posted in the link? I saw the Doctor earlier this week and she (imagine a young, female Woody Allen) had some interesting observations: More skin should have been removed, about a softball sized area. Also to prevent having a bald spot in the back she could remove the rest of my hair and rotate it around so that it covers the spot! Are you f*ckin' kidin' me?

Then she starts talking about Interferon. She has no idea i'm not gonna' do ANY of that but I listen politely. I have an appointment in a few weeks to see if it's reached my Lymph Nodes which means Stage 4 and a roughly 10 or 20 percent chance at survival. But that's only if I go by their treatment regimen, and I'm not.

One lesson learned: Always listen to the women in your life

I saw the pictures. Yikes!

The hair thing is kind of creepy. I suppose if I were a guy I'd just shave my head and wear the scars proudly as you survive.

You said "About a year ago I was noticing this little irritating thing on the back of my head when I combed my hair" Thats why I was surpised.

My oldest brother has Hep C and had a kidney transplant. He went through the Interferon treatment. He said enough and quit treatment. This was six years ago and he is still alive and kicking harder today.

I understand your stance. Sometimes our stances change

I'm wondering how your wife would feel watching you die from melanoma.
There is a member on this board who watched her husband die from melanoma.
I wish she would pipe up because I can't remember who it is at the moment.

♥ I wish you the best.

Trip down memory lane, mostly to poke at you, not being malicious.


http://www.usmessageboard.com/threads/it-never-fails.226049/
http://www.usmessageboard.com/threads/examples-of-no-class.226785/

 

[westwall]

You will be in my thoughts Mad. There is a cyber knife here in Reno that is pretty remarkable. You might want to look into that.

 

[Papageorgio]

Best to you Mad, prayers going your way.

 

[Mad Scientist]

Good news! Yesterday's' Ultra-Sound test of my lymph nodes showed no swelling! Only one node was slightly larger than normal, 2.3cm rather than 1.0cm.

In fact, the Doctor and the attending Nurse both were a little confused as to why the test was being done and what exactly they were supposed to be looking for.

That's the kind of test results I like, the ones that are so good they baffle the Staff!

So, seeing as how it's not stage 4 and not metastasizing to other locations, I can only assume that one or more of the following has happened:

1. Doctor removed all of the cancer when he took out the tumor.
2. My special diet killed the remaining cancer cells after the surgery.
3. Prayers were answered and God healed me.
4. I never had cancer in the first place.

I'll yet you decide for yourself what it was.

 

[Roadrunner]

Don't mess around, RR. Get thee to doc. I had a couple of wartlike thingies appearing on my skin and had them checked out. Forgot the name of them but they are harmless. Look like big freckles..or moles..BIG. But flat. I call them age spots. He called them something else but it was some weird name.

Anywho...don't delay. Catching the Big C early is key.

I went last Tuesday!!!!

All is well, come back in a year!!!!

Hands look great since I gave up the joy of my life, salt water fishing.

: - (

 

[strollingbones]

o hell who cares why ....its just good news!

 

[Syriusly]

Doc gave me the bad news just a few hours ago. The mole that was directly on the back of my head is Melanoma.

Feel free to chime in and say whatever you want including criticisms of my plan. It's ok, i can take it!

But most of all: Please keep me in your Prayers! Thank you!

Mad Scientist.

Best wishes for your recovery.

 

[strollingbones]

mad, i got good news today too...seems the chemo worked and no new tumors....dont be so quick to avoid chemo with the bladder cancer i will undergo 3 chemos every 6 months...i take the phone and watch you tube....

 

[Mad Scientist]

That's great news Bones!

In all Cancer cases, you are your own best advocate so only you can decide what course to take for recovery.

I tell this to everyone who asks about what I'm doing.

 

[MeBelle]

Good news! Yesterday's' Ultra-Sound test of my lymph nodes showed no swelling! Only one node was slightly larger than normal, 2.3cm rather than 1.0cm.

In fact, the Doctor and the attending Nurse both were a little confused as to why the test was being done and what exactly they were supposed to be looking for.

That's the kind of test results I like, the ones that are so good they baffle the Staff!

So, seeing as how it's not stage 4 and not metastasizing to other locations, I can only assume that one or more of the following has happened:

1. Doctor removed all of the cancer when he took out the tumor.
2. My special diet killed the remaining cancer cells after the surgery.
3. Prayers were answered and God healed me.
4. I never had cancer in the first place.

I'll yet you decide for yourself what it was.

1
2
3

 

[MeBelle]

mad, i got good news today too...seems the chemo worked and no new tumors....dont be so quick to avoid chemo with the bladder cancer i will undergo 3 chemos every 6 months...i take the phone and watch you tube....

Love you bonez! Had no idea you were going through this also.

strollingbones

 

[Mad Scientist]

Haven't posted anything here in a while, I supposed that's a good sign.

My Dad continues to be a non believer though. He gave me a call the other day telling me of the "new" treatment at some Santa Monica Hospital (we're all from SoCal, even my wife) Anyway he knows that I'm not doing any radiation or chemo so he tells me about this so called new treatment wherein the radiation and chemo "boosts the immune system". Can you believe that shit?

Radiation "boosts" the immune system! That's like saying Napalm suppresses fires!

That was probably the first time in my life I thought my Dad had no clue and as a result I was probably a little sharp with him. He asked "What do you think?" and I said "Well, that sounds like a load of crap". He couldn't talk long as he had to go do his Mormon thing, but I could hear the disappointment in his voice.

I don't want to go "no contact" with my Dad but while I'm doing this (for the next year or so) I need support from people, hell I get more support from people at work than my relatives! I don't need the negativity.

 

[Michelle420]

Good to stay away from negative people. I will pray for your continued good health.

Medical Pot may be helpful too

Transdermal Medical Marijuana Skin Cancer Treatment

 

[mudwhistle]

If it doesn'cure it… you can always smoke it.

 

[Mad Scientist]

If it was legal in Pennsylvania, and my job didn't test for it, I'd absolutely be using Cannabis oil.

 

[auditor0007]

mad, i got good news today too...seems the chemo worked and no new tumors....dont be so quick to avoid chemo with the bladder cancer i will undergo 3 chemos every 6 months...i take the phone and watch you tube....

Great news Bones.

 

[Mad Scientist]

Two moles that were biopsied came back benign. I'm 99.9% sure I got this beat!