Howdy – my membership has been approved by a dermatologist & two specialists :-)
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Howdy – my membership has been approved by a dermatologist & two specialists :-)

› Forums › Cutaneous Melanoma Community › Howdy – my membership has been approved by a dermatologist & two specialists :-)

  • Post
    • April 14, 2017 at 12:01 am
    MelOrama
    Participant

      Hi guys! I got "that" call on Thursday, April 6. I was dumbfounded. I had knee surgery the day before and was pretty groggy when the dermatologist called me.  I had gone in the previous week to have a mole looked at.  It was one that my boyfriend noticed on my back…she had grown rapidly. I say "she" because we named her. Bertha. 

       Unfortunately Bertha didn't hang around. The dermatologist, upon seeing it, immediately did a shave biopsy and left me with a pretty big crater.  To be honest, I really thought they were being cautious. I literally just came off of an 18 month fight with breast cancer. I was so happy to have my life back, be considered cancer free… again, I convinced myself they were just being cautious. 

      The call was a gut punch. I'm not ready to do this $@&!? again.

      My derm sent me to a melanoma specialist that I saw this past Monday. After visiting with me he wants me to see another specialist, reportedly top notch. He was booked until April 25,  but after hearing that, the first specialist called him and somehow got me in on Monday. 

      This is all I know, and it's admittedly still a bit Greek to me.  After being diagnosed with breast cancer and hopping on the Internet and scaring the hell out of myself, I've kinda been doing he "internet down low." 🙂

      Here is what I know from path rpt:

      Stage: 2Ta

      Histology type: melanoma, spreading w/ nevoid featurers

      clarks level: 4

      Breslow: 1.3mm

      growth phase: radial & vertical 

      ulceration, satellitosis:  none

      Mitotic index: <1

       After talking with the first specialist, there are some good things in the report. I will see the next specialist Monday.  I know for sure I will have surgery to remove the rest of the tumor, and do the whole thing.  The funniest part? I'm on crutches for another three weeks…so if they go under my arm, that will be comical!

      In the mean time, I'm reading some stuff here and gaining lots of insight. Thank you for sharing your stories. 

      Melissa

       

       

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    • Replies
        • April 14, 2017 at 12:52 am
        casagrayson
        Participant

          My goodness, Melissa!  You've been through the medical wringer, haven't you?  Congrats on getting past the breast cancer ordeal.  I'm a 10-yr survivor myself come July.  And sorry about the knee; although I'm sure you will be very glad you had it done when it gets healed.

          As for Bertha, like you said you've had some good news already.  No ulceration, low level mitosis — good things!  It is a little deep; anything over 1cm is going to require a sentinel node biopsy.  You want to make sure they are doing the SLN at the same time as the WLE (wide local excision) to preserve accurate drainage pathways.  If there is no indication of any spread into the lymph nodes, you are basically done!  Normally you wouldn't even get any other scans, although with your previous breast cancer they might do so just as a precaution.  

          Staying off the internet (except for this site, of course) is a great plan.  Treatment for melanoma is changing so fast right now that most of the data and prognoses are very out of date.  If you had to meet Bertha, at least you did so at a great time for exciting new treatments!  Of course, we are going to hope that the SLN is clear, and you can put all this behind you in no time!

            • April 14, 2017 at 2:12 am
            MelOrama
            Participant

              Hi Susan! 

              The last specialist I saw  gave me the lowdown on what would happen with the new specialist. They will put me completely under, do the WLE and then do the SLN at the same time.  You know how it goes…you think of a million and one things to ask after you leave, but one of the things I'd like to know is why the specialist, who my dermatologist says is the best, insisted on referring me to what he calls the top notch guy?   And when he found out he was booked, got me and lickety-split to see him. Again, the pathology report is a little foreign to me, but I didn't see anything nor did he indicate anything was alarming.  Well, outside of the fact I have  Melanoma, lol.

               And yes, I have been on quite the ride. I keep threatening to write a book about it, I have some pretty crazy experiences.  But I still hold out I was one of the very lucky ones with my breast cancer. And congratulations to you and your beating the beast.   The silver lining  to breast cancer was two brand-new boobs at 46 that insurance paid for…you can't beat that! With this? Maybe he'll cut away some extra back fat. 😉

              I have not told many, but I have a already heard, "at least it's just skin cancer…they'll just cut it out." 

              If anyone can offer any advice on what to ask the surgeon when I meet with him on Monday, I'd be grateful.

              thanks!

              P.S…one of my nick names for a looooong time has been MelORama. I find it so funny that it's so similar to what I had hacked off my back. 🙂

              • April 14, 2017 at 3:22 pm
              casagrayson
              Participant

                Do you mind my asking where you are being seen and who the specialist is?  Maybe the reason you got referred is that the first specialist doesn't do SLN biopsies?  (Sounds strange, but it's possible.)  The SLN will be done first, followed by the WLE.  I'm sure the surgeon will describe what all will be done; whether skin grafting will be needed, etc.  

                • April 15, 2017 at 4:55 am
                MelOrama
                Participant

                  I'm in Austin, TX and  have an appointment Monday morning with Dr. Fleming. http://www.texasoncology.com/doctors/ry-declan-fleming

                  However, the first specialist I saw does do the SLN as well.  I'm very curious why he not only referred me to Dr. Fleming, but when it was found out that Dr. Fleming was booked and I could see one of the two other doctors in his practice, the first specialist I went to was adamant about me seeing him. The first specialist  managed  to get me on Monday instead of having to wait until the 25th.  It's one of the things to ask when I go on Monday. Again my pathology report looks pretty vanilla, right?   Maybe it's just simply because I just came off the breast-cancer thing ?

                  • April 14, 2017 at 5:15 pm
                  Jamie1960
                  Participant

                    SLNB at the same time as WLE was my experience as well, although whether this was done for convenience (I was under general anesthesia anyway) or the lymphatic pathway preservation, I cannot tell you. For what it's worth, my surgical oncologist teaches at Johns Hopkins, so I trust his judgment.

                  • April 15, 2017 at 1:00 am
                  AliCat61
                  Participant

                    Sending you a  big virtual hug and keeping you in my prayers. I see that you have a sense of humor. Hang on to that. It will serve you well :). 

                      • April 15, 2017 at 4:56 am
                      MelOrama
                      Participant

                        Thank you!  I appreciate it.  And believe me, my sense of humor is the main thing that got me through all this the first time. It's going to have to serve me well again. 🙂

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