Talk me down
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Talk me down

› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Talk me down

  • Post
    • October 1, 2013 at 10:00 pm
    chrisba
    Participant

      Six years ago I was diagnosed with in situ, had a wide excision and promptly went on with my life. I had regular skin check and biopsies of suspicious moles. Today I got the call: .7 mm, stage 1a. I'm waiting on an appointment to discuss lymph node biopsy; I'm leaning towards it. Of course, wide excision is on the horizon as well.

      I know enough to know that this was caught early and things will be fine. I will go on with my life just like I did before. But right now, honestly, I'm kinda of freaking out. I'm 42 years old. Help. 

    Viewing 5 reply threads
    • Replies
        • October 1, 2013 at 11:27 pm
        kpcollins31
        Participant

          No need to freak out – as you noted, this was caught early so things will likely be fine. The best all of us on this board can do is live our lives as normally as possible under the circumstances. Good luck with the surgery and make sure you follow up with a melanoma specialist.

          Kevin

          • October 1, 2013 at 11:27 pm
          kpcollins31
          Participant

            No need to freak out – as you noted, this was caught early so things will likely be fine. The best all of us on this board can do is live our lives as normally as possible under the circumstances. Good luck with the surgery and make sure you follow up with a melanoma specialist.

            Kevin

            • October 1, 2013 at 11:27 pm
            kpcollins31
            Participant

              No need to freak out – as you noted, this was caught early so things will likely be fine. The best all of us on this board can do is live our lives as normally as possible under the circumstances. Good luck with the surgery and make sure you follow up with a melanoma specialist.

              Kevin

              • October 1, 2013 at 11:58 pm
              Charlie S
              Participant

                Always be careful what you ask for.  Your mind has all ready worked through the logic, but your emotions are not quite in tow yet.

                Give yourself some time for the logic and the emotions in your brain to reconcile this and catch up with one another.

                 

                If that does not happen……………..do not freak…..speak.

                Cheers,

                Charlie S

                  • October 2, 2013 at 1:02 pm
                  Tina D
                  Participant

                    Loving Charlie's advice. Sometimes we need to step back and breathe a while before making decisions. This is a roller coaster at times, and you need a little time to catch your breath.

                    Tina

                    • October 2, 2013 at 1:02 pm
                    Tina D
                    Participant

                      Loving Charlie's advice. Sometimes we need to step back and breathe a while before making decisions. This is a roller coaster at times, and you need a little time to catch your breath.

                      Tina

                      • October 2, 2013 at 1:02 pm
                      Tina D
                      Participant

                        Loving Charlie's advice. Sometimes we need to step back and breathe a while before making decisions. This is a roller coaster at times, and you need a little time to catch your breath.

                        Tina

                        • October 2, 2013 at 2:14 pm
                        chrisba
                        Participant

                          Thanks for your wise words. You are spot on about my logic and emotions needing to reconcile.

                          Question for you: When you say "Always be careful what you ask for," what do you mean? Do you think I should not pursue a lymph node biopsy? 

                          • October 2, 2013 at 2:14 pm
                          chrisba
                          Participant

                            Thanks for your wise words. You are spot on about my logic and emotions needing to reconcile.

                            Question for you: When you say "Always be careful what you ask for," what do you mean? Do you think I should not pursue a lymph node biopsy? 

                            • October 2, 2013 at 5:45 pm
                            Janner
                            Participant

                              The SNB is not typically done for stage IA.  But you have to do what makes YOU comfortable.

                              I get the multiple primary scenario, I've had three and they are all a shock to the system.  My first one was in 1992.  Stage IA, then an in situ and then another stage IA in 2001.  (The first one and the last one are now considered stage IB in todays staging – they both had 1 mitosis).  I didn't have a SNB for my last one (.88mm) because it wasn't deemed high risk and a stage IA would fall into that same category.  My institution used 1mm as the cutoff point for the SNB at that time. 

                              It does take a while to get over the shock of things, but the thing is you caught this one.  You're on the ball and watching.  And ironically, a study in Australia showed people with multiple primaries actually had better survival stats than people with one primary.  Go figure.

                              Take care, and feel free to contact me if you need to talk to someone who's been there before.

                              Best wishes,

                              Janner

                              • October 2, 2013 at 5:45 pm
                              Janner
                              Participant

                                The SNB is not typically done for stage IA.  But you have to do what makes YOU comfortable.

                                I get the multiple primary scenario, I've had three and they are all a shock to the system.  My first one was in 1992.  Stage IA, then an in situ and then another stage IA in 2001.  (The first one and the last one are now considered stage IB in todays staging – they both had 1 mitosis).  I didn't have a SNB for my last one (.88mm) because it wasn't deemed high risk and a stage IA would fall into that same category.  My institution used 1mm as the cutoff point for the SNB at that time. 

                                It does take a while to get over the shock of things, but the thing is you caught this one.  You're on the ball and watching.  And ironically, a study in Australia showed people with multiple primaries actually had better survival stats than people with one primary.  Go figure.

                                Take care, and feel free to contact me if you need to talk to someone who's been there before.

                                Best wishes,

                                Janner

                                • October 2, 2013 at 5:45 pm
                                Janner
                                Participant

                                  The SNB is not typically done for stage IA.  But you have to do what makes YOU comfortable.

                                  I get the multiple primary scenario, I've had three and they are all a shock to the system.  My first one was in 1992.  Stage IA, then an in situ and then another stage IA in 2001.  (The first one and the last one are now considered stage IB in todays staging – they both had 1 mitosis).  I didn't have a SNB for my last one (.88mm) because it wasn't deemed high risk and a stage IA would fall into that same category.  My institution used 1mm as the cutoff point for the SNB at that time. 

                                  It does take a while to get over the shock of things, but the thing is you caught this one.  You're on the ball and watching.  And ironically, a study in Australia showed people with multiple primaries actually had better survival stats than people with one primary.  Go figure.

                                  Take care, and feel free to contact me if you need to talk to someone who's been there before.

                                  Best wishes,

                                  Janner

                                  • October 2, 2013 at 2:14 pm
                                  chrisba
                                  Participant

                                    Thanks for your wise words. You are spot on about my logic and emotions needing to reconcile.

                                    Question for you: When you say "Always be careful what you ask for," what do you mean? Do you think I should not pursue a lymph node biopsy? 

                                  • October 1, 2013 at 11:58 pm
                                  Charlie S
                                  Participant

                                    Always be careful what you ask for.  Your mind has all ready worked through the logic, but your emotions are not quite in tow yet.

                                    Give yourself some time for the logic and the emotions in your brain to reconcile this and catch up with one another.

                                     

                                    If that does not happen……………..do not freak…..speak.

                                    Cheers,

                                    Charlie S

                                    • October 1, 2013 at 11:58 pm
                                    Charlie S
                                    Participant

                                      Always be careful what you ask for.  Your mind has all ready worked through the logic, but your emotions are not quite in tow yet.

                                      Give yourself some time for the logic and the emotions in your brain to reconcile this and catch up with one another.

                                       

                                      If that does not happen……………..do not freak…..speak.

                                      Cheers,

                                      Charlie S

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