MelanomaLevel4-survivor

queenzena1970

Hi Guys,
just to offer a word or two of support. Just under 2yrs ago I was diagnosed with a level 4 Melanoma. (I self diagnosed, got the refferal wrtten and faxed it off to the melanoma unit). As it wasn't a mole, or a freckle (just a slight red patch) they were unsure. A biopisy ws taken, and sure enough it was melanoma. At that stage they thought it wsa just a level 2max. When I was told it was a level 4 and then what the next amount of surgery would involve I took it all in my stride. When I had my bath that night, I actually thought, I'm not afraid to die, but I am going to fight till the end. I wsa also advsied NOT to go on the internet (right, the first thing I did wsa enter the level in the computer).
I then went in search of any person surviving my level of cancer (to no avail). So I tried the next best thing. Anybody surviving a level 4, and above. I came across a book called "beating the cancer myth".
I became a vegan, oh, and I didn't have to go through any chemo, radiation, and after my bi-nodal bisopsy was done, it showed as clear. Apart from a dysplastic nevi )posibly pre-cancerous), I've had no other surgery or complications related to melanoma...
I really didn't realise how lucky I am.....I'm still a vegan, and I truely believe that you can beat even a level 6 cancer, you just need the right tools, and beleifs. If you don't believe in miracles then you aren't a realist. One of my favourite sayings is "You can either live for the rest of your life, or die for the rest of your life". Have faith in your bdoies ability to heal itself, and provide positive images, and role models for yourself. I wsa told of one patient who has lived 10yrs so far with no re-accurances.
Remember, no matter what is happening to your body the essence of your spirit and personality is still you. God bless (who ever your god may be) each and every one of you. If you need some much needed words of encouragement I am more than happy to provide support. My email address is charmario1970@aol.com.
I believe in natural therapies only.

kindest thoughts

Zena (warrior queen)

robInVA

Zena,
This is an awesome post. I was just diag. w/L4 metastatic after having a seizure a daily 4 mile jog. CAT showed two brain tumors, one which has been removed (excised) and the other to come out in the near future (Gamma). Only other disease in my body is a swollen lymph in my thorax. I'm the healthiest guy that people know, and I feel great, other than the obvious I'm mostly a vegan as well, and I exercise, exercise, exercise. I have been reading Wayne Dyer's book, "The power of intention" and practicing yoga nidra. So I feel, like you, that I have the right tools to beat this, just get scared about the general stats that I read. Anyway, thanks for the encouragement. I would like to email you every once in a while if it's OK for when I need a boost!
Rob in VA

TAMMYTEE1112

MELANOMA STAGE 4
I HAVE MELANOMA IN MY LUNGS AND IN MY LIVER.AND I HAD CHEMO A YEAR AND A HALF AGO WHICH MADE IT WORSE.I HAVENT HAVE ANY OTHER TREATMENT AND I STARTING TO GET SICK AGAIN THE TUMORS ARE GETTING BIGGER AND I PRAY EVERY NIGHT FOR THE LORD TO GIVE ME A MIRACLE.I FEEL AS GOD IS NOT HERE WITH ME LIKE HE USE TO BE I FEEL EMPTY INSIDE.IM TRYING TO FIND MY ONLY FRIEND AND THE LORD THAT WAS HERE WITH ME AND NOW HE IS NOT I DONT KNOW WHAT HAS HAPPEN .I READ MY BIBLE I PRAY AND HE DONT ANSWER ME NO MORE

hollyberry

TAMMYTEE1112 said:

MELANOMA STAGE 4
I HAVE MELANOMA IN MY LUNGS AND IN MY LIVER.AND I HAD CHEMO A YEAR AND A HALF AGO WHICH MADE IT WORSE.I HAVENT HAVE ANY OTHER TREATMENT AND I STARTING TO GET SICK AGAIN THE TUMORS ARE GETTING BIGGER AND I PRAY EVERY NIGHT FOR THE LORD TO GIVE ME A MIRACLE.I FEEL AS GOD IS NOT HERE WITH ME LIKE HE USE TO BE I FEEL EMPTY INSIDE.IM TRYING TO FIND MY ONLY FRIEND AND THE LORD THAT WAS HERE WITH ME AND NOW HE IS NOT I DONT KNOW WHAT HAS HAPPEN .I READ MY BIBLE I PRAY AND HE DONT ANSWER ME NO MORE

have faith
Tammy,
I am also stage 4 melanoma patient; I don't say survivor because I also have multiple metastasis. I am doing a clinical trial and hope for the best; my odds are not good and I have come to terms with that. God said he would never leave us or forsake us; sometimes we don't feel him or hear him actively in our lives, but that does not mean He is not there. I believe that He knows you are strong and will get through this and He will give you support no matter what the outcome. I will pray for you and hope that you find His presence in your struggles.Please try to stay positive (I know this is hard!!)and you will discover His mercies in the everyday. He loves us and would not leave us in our darkest hours; if you feel the need to talk to a counselor, I would suggest www.cancercare.org, they are wonderful people and are free to cancer patients and their families.
Love and prayers to you,
Hollyberry

djridge

I also am a level 4 stage 3b
I also am a level 4 stage 3b melanoma survivor. I was diagnosed one year ago. Melanoma was on right upper leg with mets to sentinel groin node. I had a complete lymph node dissection with no mets in any other nodes. Surgery recovery was very rough but am doing fine now. The diagnosis was a crisis that took me a while to deal with. I opted to not do interferon and was told chemo and radiation was not an option with melanoma. I go for PET scans every 4 months and my oncologist checks me thoroughly at that time. I take it one day at a time and pray a lot! So glad to find this site, I could not find one person in my area with the diagnosis of melanoma to talk to. I think I am a lot older that most of you, was 65yo when diagnosed, but had never been sick and just retired and whammo!! After reading some posts in this forum, seems like the doctors all have different treatment plans...that is pretty scary.

djridge

yalleh

Dear Zena
Level 4 means how deep the melanoma went into the skin. Unless you had a pt or ct scan you cannot know if you are a Stage 3 or 4 Melanoma which is very different than a level 4 (by the way I was a level 2 which meant that I had a 5% chance that it would spread to a Stage 3). Level 4 just means you have a 20% chance that it could spread but that also means you have a 80% chance that nothing will ever happen to you (regardless of what you eat... and they dont give chemo to stage 2 Melanoma)

the reason I bring this up is that I had a love one who read these kind of books and really pushed vegan on me while I was on treatment. It was absolutely the wrong thing to do as it made me too weak to reproduce the blood cells my body needed (I was put on a diet that was very rich in protein). so just be careful how and to whom you tell these stories. I love your spirit and kind words that inspire people though.

I too believe that you can either live the rest of your life or die the rest of your life (my modo for years now). But nobody has every shown me a story that natural therapies saved a STAGE 4 Melnoma patient like me.

yalleh

TAMMYTEE1112 said:

MELANOMA STAGE 4
I HAVE MELANOMA IN MY LUNGS AND IN MY LIVER.AND I HAD CHEMO A YEAR AND A HALF AGO WHICH MADE IT WORSE.I HAVENT HAVE ANY OTHER TREATMENT AND I STARTING TO GET SICK AGAIN THE TUMORS ARE GETTING BIGGER AND I PRAY EVERY NIGHT FOR THE LORD TO GIVE ME A MIRACLE.I FEEL AS GOD IS NOT HERE WITH ME LIKE HE USE TO BE I FEEL EMPTY INSIDE.IM TRYING TO FIND MY ONLY FRIEND AND THE LORD THAT WAS HERE WITH ME AND NOW HE IS NOT I DONT KNOW WHAT HAS HAPPEN .I READ MY BIBLE I PRAY AND HE DONT ANSWER ME NO MORE

No answer
Dear Tammy,
God is with you and all around you, at all times (whichever god you pray too). You need to be strong and enjoy all those beautiful things that god has made, and do this every day.