On Christmas Eve I was given the biopsy results of a mole that I had removed. The nurse practitioner that had removed the mole came into the room and said, bad news, it's melanoma. I had anticipated these results and had done some research. My head was spinning but I remembered to asked the stage. She said Stage IV. I asked her how she knew it had spread and she said, it's Clarks Level IV, which is Stage IV. My world turned up side down at that very moment. My husband and I went home to tell my three girls, elderly parents and friends the devasting news. But something didn't feel right…
I got on the internet and began searching. Thankfully I found this forum and was able to get reassurance from several people that the diagnosis was premature at best. Though still sick with worry, I managed to get through the holidays feeling more confident that I was stage I or II based on the pathology report.
Since then I have met with an oncologist, had a wide exicision with sentinel node biopsy and MRI. Thankfully the MRI was clear and so were the lymph nodes. I am officially stage 1b.
I have sent a letter to my dermatologist to inform him of the mistake that his nurse practitioner made that day. My hope is that no one else will go through the pain and distress of a misdiagnosis from her. I would also like an apology but I realize that probably won't happen.
I just want to thank everyone who took the time to reply to my post. That reassurance was the best present I could have received that Christimas. I am so thankful this forum is here to answer my many questions. I am sure there will be many more questions as time goes by and I am happy to have this support system.
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