Just diagnosed with melanoma

Nainsi

Hi - New to this site and board. Just had wide excision surgery and sentinel lymph node biopsy on my forearm. Now I wait 10 days for the results. My surgeon said it's either stage 1B or 3. This is all new to me, I'm looking forward to communicating with others in the same boat.

CaitLyons

Hey there! I recently underwent a very similar experience but with my leg, and I was very fortunate that the cancer hadn't spread. The waiting might have been the hardest part of the experience itself. How did things turn out? Hopefully you're doing well and in remission now

Nainsi

https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1709111#Comment_1709111

Hi,

Glad to hear that you had a positive outcome. I'm happy to say that my cancer had not reached my lymph nodes (underarm). I feel very lucky and grateful. So for now I just go to a dermatologist every few months - and hope for the best. It is a little worrying, about the future, but I'm learning how to live with the worry. I just try to keep it in the background.

CaitLyons

That's fantastic, I'm so glad you have NED as well! I understand what you mean. I've been finding it difficult to adjust back to the life I had before the diagnosis. I think we're the lucky ones given the situation, but somehow that has also felt very alienating in a way. Diagnosis and then cancer free a couple months later - it's a strange experience to just dip your toe into the cancer experience without undergoing chemo or anything of that sort. How has your healing process been going so far?

Nainsi

Yeah, the experience was sudden - diving in and finding out what to do, and what it means (I didn't know much beforehand) - and then suddenly it's over, and you're left trying to comprehend it. Mine is pretty well healed now - surgery was August 4th. How has your experience been?

CaitLyons

That's essentially how mine went as well. And I'm extremely thankful that was the case, but it certainly is a shock. Recently I've finally been trying to find resources to help with the financial and behavioral/mental side of things, and it's crazy how little seems to be available through external funding when you get diagnosed but it's not a longterm thing. That's great yours has healed! Would you say you've been relatively able to get back into the regular physical swing of things then? My larger excision is finally almost completely healed now after having surgery on July 25th, and the other two have been healed for a while. I still have quite a bit of nerve pain and swelling at this point, but it's much better than it was.

Nainsi

From what I read (in the post-surgical instructions), having it on a leg is harder than on the arm, which is what I had (left forearm). I am left-handed, so I was unable to draw and paint (I'm an artist) until recently, but I could write fairly quickly. I was told not to lift anything, or pull or push, so luckily my job is proofreading - not too much physical stuff. I have avoided any heavy work, like housecleaning, but hope to do that soon. I also sought counseling to deal with the anxiety and fear (including how to pay for the surgery, etc.), and also didn't find much available. I signed up online to a couple of places, but never heard from them. It was very stressful; I had to essentially find out what kind of doctor to go to, and that took awhile, to find out that I needed the wide excision plus the lymph node biopsy. I finally called my health insurance, and they helped me a couple of times. But I had a delayed stress reaction after the surgery; I found myself being very agitated for a little while. While it was going on, I was too busy to be upset, but afterward I felt the stress. I haven't gotten the bill yet for the surgery, but they said I could pay in installments. It is unsettling to go through it - the diagnosis, then the surgery etc., and it all happens so fast - it is hard to process and I guess it takes awhile to absorb it and get back to normal.

will68

Mine started out as a stage IIA, after the wide incision, but quickly moved to a Stage IIIb when after the lymph node biopsy of 2, one came back with small traces, (.12) of cancer cells, while the other was clean. uuuhg. Trying to decide if I should do the immunotherapy or just wait if or until the frequent scans come back and shows evidence of cancer. They are really pushing this new PD-1 LAG-3 combo treatment as an insurance policy if you will of it helping not come back but it seems it boost the chances up by 12-15 percent of it not returning for 5 years or so. Either way its a bueatiful day outside!

Nainsi

Hi,

I sympathize with your situation. I know it is a hard decision to make. I learned a lot while I was going through mine, but there is still a great deal I don't know about different treatments, etc. Is there someone you can talk to about the different choices, someone knowledgeable and wise?