Mastastic Melanoma stage IIC

LGaccione
LGaccione Member Posts: 1 Member
edited March 13 in Skin Cancer #1

HI, i was diagnosed on the 6th of June 2023. Had the "mole" removed, then they extended the margins for which they had cut it out. Now I have a 7 inch scar across my left shoulder blade. I've done all the tests, I think, PET scan came back with something in a lymph node. Have had the sentinel lymph node biopsy done the 21st of July. Still healing from that one. There is a 4 inch incision in my armpit. I'm scared for the next stage of treatment, Immunotherapy. 😨 My inquiry is about the Immunotherapy, what's it actually like? How bad am i gonna feel during this treatment? I'm afraid of taking off too much time at work and loosing my insurance. I've got many avenues of issues. LOL. ANyways, please let me know about your immunotherapy journey.

Comments

  • CaitLyons
    CaitLyons Member Posts: 4 *
    #2

    Hello! I can't speak on the matter of immunotherapy, but I have recently been heavily researching ways to pay off my medical debt from my own cancer treatments. Have you worked at your job for over 12 months? I saw something earlier that said your workplace could be required to allow you to have 12 weeks off for this kind of situation (which isn't much in the grander scheme of things, but it's something- and you don't have to take the 12 weeks off all at once, it can be dispersed over time). If you lose your job because you can't return after those 12 weeks, it looks like you may be able to apply to another program that offers insurance to you. Check out 'Workplace Protections for Individuals Impacts by Cancer | U.S. Department of Labor.' This isn't exactly what you were asking for, but hopefully it helps even just a little bit. Best of luck to you!

  • Loli
    Loli Member Posts: 3 Member
    #3
    https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/326871/mastastic-melanoma-stage-iic

    There is an immunothreapy Facebook page called 'Immunotherapy Support'. Highly recommend if you are interested. Hope your immunothreapy journey is going well.

  • scarsRus
    scarsRus Member Posts: 4 Member
    #4

    Hey Loli,

    I can understand what that kind of procedure is like, I'm going through the same ordeal with stage 3B melanoma.

    I'm taking a 2 part immunotherapy. IV- Yervoy and Opdivo. Ipilimumab and Novolimab. The drugs take 30 min. and 90 min. to infuse. I'm on treatment every 21 days. These are check point inhibitors blocking the CTLA-4. and PD-1 pathways. I was lucky that I didn't get many side effects as others. About 24 hrs after the infusion I did feel sick like taking 100 flu shots, but then it passes. I hope that helps. Stand Strong!

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