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How did I get there?

Forums Cutaneous Melanoma Community How did I get there?

  • Post
    VIve
    Participant

      Probably everybody in my situation is wondering how did I get there. Metastatic melanoma cancer stage IV..Last year I barely had a flue and now I'm diagnosed with a termal illness where apparently is not much possible to do to save my life.

      I had some small moles removed more than a year and a half ago but no problems afterwards. That's why I'm asking myself what could be the reason for the cancer to appear or develop at the beginning of this year? Last autumn I had a flue vaccination afterwards I felt somewhat sick. Before getting really ill I was going a little too much for me to the gym and therefor was taking lots of aspirin. But really otherwise nothing serious. Also other questions are bothering me like why aren't there preventive blood checks? And how is it possible from totally healthy (just with anemia) to be told one day when you don't feel well that there is nothing else to do before foing anything at all?! 

      I thought the medicine is already advanced after decades of trials, money raised for research etc. And if there is an immunotherapy that is working why it has to cost 100 000 $ or anything like this – it should be affordable for everyone in the world…

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        VIve
        Participant

          Something else I remembered that could have contributed for the cancer development is a big distress caused from I crime that I was a victim of last September.

          What do you think,  what could be the reason?

            Anonymous
            Inactive

              32, Diagnosed with stage 4 and lepto in Sept, with a mass removed from my brain causing a bleed, tumor in my lung, former Pro Football Player, two sport college athlete, never got sick etc………..Dont ask why, just fight like hell……..sometimes we dont get the answers we want, I never did……Never give up and Fight On…..and if you sometimes feel like hitting F it, Fight for the people who need you….Godbless

            messedmelanocytes
            Participant

              Very sorry to hear of your despair and the position that you find yourself in with your health. It is very normal to being asking the questions that you are, but I don't think there are any answers.

               

              Rsearch into MM has brought us great opportinity for surivial over tha past two decades, it is not perfect, but it means that many people with stage IV will beat MM and end up free of disease and able to carry on wit their lives. This was not the case twenty years ago, when getting a stage IV diagnosis only had one terrible outcome. So, we can be thankful and optimistic because of the recent advances in successful treatment.

              As for "why you", well why anyone? Cancer, in all it's forms, spares no one because of the age, gender, ethnic origin or socio economic class. It takes only one single cell to replicate after it's DNA is damaged to create a cancer. A scientist once told me that what is more remarkable is that not everyone gets cancer, that some people don't they live cancer free their entire lives and die of old age. This apparantly is a more perplexing phenomenum than cancer! That's how good the odds are that a person will get some form of cancer.

               

              So, don't waste time or energy loooking for these answers, and definitely don't blame yourself or anything you did or didn't do. Take that energy and apply it maintaining an optimistic mind, a strong body and a determined approach to fighting to regain your health, many have and you can too! I sure hope that one of the latest therapies will work for you and you will give us a post about being Stage IV to NED thanks to immunotherapy.        

                VIve
                Participant

                  Thanks for the reply snd encouragement from the Football Player. God bless you too buddy!

                  About the second commend: hey there is no despair in my home. And I'm not asking why me?! Nobody has to suffer like this of course. But some facts snd questions shouldn't be ignore to prevent cancer killing us further.

                  And I am still refused an immunotherapy probably because of its price…But still I think I can survive, although mets and pain in the spine and some bones.

                   

                  Patrisa
                  Participant

                    Where are you from? Is immuno approved in your country? I can't believe they are denying you treatment because it's expensive, that is just absurd!

                    Hope you can get into some kind of treatment, this disease is by no means a joke and it should be taken seriously by your doctors…

                    Take care,

                    Patrisa

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