› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Anniversary of diagnosis
- This topic has 21 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 8 years, 11 months ago by
ashley_k.
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- July 7, 2016 at 3:13 am
So, strange question, does anyone recognize or celebrate the anniversary of a diagnosis or treatment? a year ago I was diagnosed and this past year have been telling myself that reaching on year of NED is something to celebrate.
My baby is not quite a year old but is healthy. It is something I am so very thankful for, a true blessing. I worry since she has fair skin like me (not like the husband).
This past year I've had 15 biopsies, one melanoma, two benign and the other 12 mildy atypical. Every three months I go through the phase of taking and comparing photos, searching for the outliers and tracking any odd symptoms I may be experiencing.
I'm still terrifled of being in the sun for long periods, wear sunscreen and hats religously and even spent a ton of money on expensive long sleeve & swim tights with spf protection but I'm stlil afriad of being in the sun.
Does the fear ever go away? My mother asked me if I was ever going to have a tan again. She asked when I would wear shorts and told me that the sun is 'safe' before 10am and after 4pm. My husband tells me she is from a different 'generation'.
The good news is that insurance covered genetic testing. Apparently I do not carry any of the common melanoma related gene mutations that the company was able to test for. I am hoping that means good things for my kids and I do not have to be as concerned, right? I think it also means melanoma was probably related to UV exposure most likely, right? I served in the Navy and flew in airplanes and wonder if I may have been exposed to more UV/radiation?
Ash
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- July 7, 2016 at 8:50 am
I am not a celebrating anniversaries person but I find myself thinking 'it was a year ago' or 'it was 18 months ago'.
Please ignore your mother. All my childhood, my mother encouraged me to go out into the sun, telling me that 'my skin would become accustomed to it' every time I got a bad case of sunburn. She always admired anyone with a tan and bemoaned that I was so 'unhealthily pale'.
I now have stage 3C melanoma, the primary was on my forearm. I know it is unlikely to be just the sum exposure but I am sure it did not help that I got so so burnt so often as a child. Like you, I wonder if my job contributed – I worked with radioactive isotopes when doing sceintific research between age 21 and age 25.
On the other hand, your fear of the sun may be too extreme. You do need some vitamin D. Are you taking vitamin D supplements?
Then there are all those good quality fake tans if you get fed up with being pale!
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- July 18, 2016 at 2:00 am
Yes, been taking Vit D supplement. During pregnancy I measured 20 (recommended 30-100 range) and was able to get it up to 40 by the end of the pregnancy. After my first child I got kidney stones, a previous primary care doctor told me not to take Vitamin D due to increase chance of more kidney stones. During the pregnancy they discovered low thyroid function which is unexplained. They want to do a scan of my pituitary to rule out secondary hypothyroidism in a few months.
So funny you mentioned the fake tan, I had been using fake tanning lotion on my arms for years. (my melanoma was on my trunk where the sun does not shine under my left breast. So strange.
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- July 18, 2016 at 2:00 am
Yes, been taking Vit D supplement. During pregnancy I measured 20 (recommended 30-100 range) and was able to get it up to 40 by the end of the pregnancy. After my first child I got kidney stones, a previous primary care doctor told me not to take Vitamin D due to increase chance of more kidney stones. During the pregnancy they discovered low thyroid function which is unexplained. They want to do a scan of my pituitary to rule out secondary hypothyroidism in a few months.
So funny you mentioned the fake tan, I had been using fake tanning lotion on my arms for years. (my melanoma was on my trunk where the sun does not shine under my left breast. So strange.
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- July 18, 2016 at 2:00 am
Yes, been taking Vit D supplement. During pregnancy I measured 20 (recommended 30-100 range) and was able to get it up to 40 by the end of the pregnancy. After my first child I got kidney stones, a previous primary care doctor told me not to take Vitamin D due to increase chance of more kidney stones. During the pregnancy they discovered low thyroid function which is unexplained. They want to do a scan of my pituitary to rule out secondary hypothyroidism in a few months.
So funny you mentioned the fake tan, I had been using fake tanning lotion on my arms for years. (my melanoma was on my trunk where the sun does not shine under my left breast. So strange.
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- July 7, 2016 at 8:50 am
I am not a celebrating anniversaries person but I find myself thinking 'it was a year ago' or 'it was 18 months ago'.
Please ignore your mother. All my childhood, my mother encouraged me to go out into the sun, telling me that 'my skin would become accustomed to it' every time I got a bad case of sunburn. She always admired anyone with a tan and bemoaned that I was so 'unhealthily pale'.
I now have stage 3C melanoma, the primary was on my forearm. I know it is unlikely to be just the sum exposure but I am sure it did not help that I got so so burnt so often as a child. Like you, I wonder if my job contributed – I worked with radioactive isotopes when doing sceintific research between age 21 and age 25.
On the other hand, your fear of the sun may be too extreme. You do need some vitamin D. Are you taking vitamin D supplements?
Then there are all those good quality fake tans if you get fed up with being pale!
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- July 7, 2016 at 8:50 am
I am not a celebrating anniversaries person but I find myself thinking 'it was a year ago' or 'it was 18 months ago'.
Please ignore your mother. All my childhood, my mother encouraged me to go out into the sun, telling me that 'my skin would become accustomed to it' every time I got a bad case of sunburn. She always admired anyone with a tan and bemoaned that I was so 'unhealthily pale'.
I now have stage 3C melanoma, the primary was on my forearm. I know it is unlikely to be just the sum exposure but I am sure it did not help that I got so so burnt so often as a child. Like you, I wonder if my job contributed – I worked with radioactive isotopes when doing sceintific research between age 21 and age 25.
On the other hand, your fear of the sun may be too extreme. You do need some vitamin D. Are you taking vitamin D supplements?
Then there are all those good quality fake tans if you get fed up with being pale!
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- July 7, 2016 at 10:03 am
I do… but for odd reasons. I'm also one year out (stage 1… but three primaries). I went to the circus a few weeks ago and had a flashback to this time last year when I had just heard about my third and hopefully last primary – I was so distraught that I got a relative to take my young kids to the circus, I just couldn't face going (it visits once per year). Then I felt angry that I was missing out on that time with my kids… yet anohter win for melanoma. This year I"m sitting there enjoying the circus like no-one's business… so yes, anniversaries matter and yes, it does get easier over time, even though the shadow of worry is still there.
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- July 7, 2016 at 10:03 am
I do… but for odd reasons. I'm also one year out (stage 1… but three primaries). I went to the circus a few weeks ago and had a flashback to this time last year when I had just heard about my third and hopefully last primary – I was so distraught that I got a relative to take my young kids to the circus, I just couldn't face going (it visits once per year). Then I felt angry that I was missing out on that time with my kids… yet anohter win for melanoma. This year I"m sitting there enjoying the circus like no-one's business… so yes, anniversaries matter and yes, it does get easier over time, even though the shadow of worry is still there.
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- July 7, 2016 at 10:03 am
I do… but for odd reasons. I'm also one year out (stage 1… but three primaries). I went to the circus a few weeks ago and had a flashback to this time last year when I had just heard about my third and hopefully last primary – I was so distraught that I got a relative to take my young kids to the circus, I just couldn't face going (it visits once per year). Then I felt angry that I was missing out on that time with my kids… yet anohter win for melanoma. This year I"m sitting there enjoying the circus like no-one's business… so yes, anniversaries matter and yes, it does get easier over time, even though the shadow of worry is still there.
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- July 7, 2016 at 10:12 am
BTW I just had a look at your profile – you had a very thin melanoma with an excellent prognosis. Enough with the worry, woman! One year is enough worry… you are doing everything right, skin checks etc. Go and enjoy that beautiful baby!
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- July 18, 2016 at 1:54 am
Thank you. Unfortunately I have a few people I know that have had 'thin' melanomas diagnosed during pregnancy and they are not with us so it has really rattled my cage a bit. The baby has changed everything. She helps me see life in a new way – through her eyes. (and with more suncreen) 😉 She is a toe-head like I was.
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- July 18, 2016 at 1:54 am
Thank you. Unfortunately I have a few people I know that have had 'thin' melanomas diagnosed during pregnancy and they are not with us so it has really rattled my cage a bit. The baby has changed everything. She helps me see life in a new way – through her eyes. (and with more suncreen) 😉 She is a toe-head like I was.
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- July 18, 2016 at 1:54 am
Thank you. Unfortunately I have a few people I know that have had 'thin' melanomas diagnosed during pregnancy and they are not with us so it has really rattled my cage a bit. The baby has changed everything. She helps me see life in a new way – through her eyes. (and with more suncreen) 😉 She is a toe-head like I was.
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- July 7, 2016 at 10:45 am
I don't know if "celebrate" is the right word, but I think about it. Mine was very similar to yours, in a few days it will be 5 years since my diagnosis.
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