AlisonC

Sorry for the late reply….you can find long term survival curves calculated by the AJCC here:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2793035/

Remember these are outcomes for people who were diagnosed and treated up to 2 decades ago when initial treatments were different.

🙂

AlisonC
Stage IIIB
NED since 2001

Sorry for the late reply….you can find long term survival curves calculated by the AJCC here:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2793035/

Remember these are outcomes for people who were diagnosed and treated up to 2 decades ago when initial treatments were different.

🙂

AlisonC
Stage IIIB
NED since 2001

Sorry for the late reply….you can find long term survival curves calculated by the AJCC here:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2793035/

Remember these are outcomes for people who were diagnosed and treated up to 2 decades ago when initial treatments were different.

🙂

AlisonC
Stage IIIB
NED since 2001

Well partial means the regression was only in part (obviously) and focal means only in a specific or small area (as opposed to along the whole margin). It’s not uncommon…apparently…for melanoma to have some regression, but it’s not really a prognostic indicator sorry. If there was evidence of a lot of regression (so, not just partial and not just focal) then it can mean that the Mel they removed is no longer at the max depth it reached, which can complicate staging, but if yours is only partial and focal it just means some eagle-eyed white cells got going on one part, but not all, of your primary.

I’ve found big differences between different labs on path reports. It maybe that one pathologist had keener eyes than another (and so spotted some regression that another person didn’t see) or it may be that the regressed area was so small (so “focal”) that one pathologist didn’t think it constituted evidence of regression at all and so dismissed it. Hard to know, although frustrating.

What matters FAR more in a path report is the depth (and it sounds like you will have gotten a fairly good reading on that if regression wasn’t a significant factor), mitotic rate, lymph/vascular invasion and clear margins.

Good luck……

AlisonC
Stage IIIB
NED since 2001

Well partial means the regression was only in part (obviously) and focal means only in a specific or small area (as opposed to along the whole margin). It’s not uncommon…apparently…for melanoma to have some regression, but it’s not really a prognostic indicator sorry. If there was evidence of a lot of regression (so, not just partial and not just focal) then it can mean that the Mel they removed is no longer at the max depth it reached, which can complicate staging, but if yours is only partial and focal it just means some eagle-eyed white cells got going on one part, but not all, of your primary.

I’ve found big differences between different labs on path reports. It maybe that one pathologist had keener eyes than another (and so spotted some regression that another person didn’t see) or it may be that the regressed area was so small (so “focal”) that one pathologist didn’t think it constituted evidence of regression at all and so dismissed it. Hard to know, although frustrating.

What matters FAR more in a path report is the depth (and it sounds like you will have gotten a fairly good reading on that if regression wasn’t a significant factor), mitotic rate, lymph/vascular invasion and clear margins.

Good luck……

AlisonC
Stage IIIB
NED since 2001

Well partial means the regression was only in part (obviously) and focal means only in a specific or small area (as opposed to along the whole margin). It’s not uncommon…apparently…for melanoma to have some regression, but it’s not really a prognostic indicator sorry. If there was evidence of a lot of regression (so, not just partial and not just focal) then it can mean that the Mel they removed is no longer at the max depth it reached, which can complicate staging, but if yours is only partial and focal it just means some eagle-eyed white cells got going on one part, but not all, of your primary.

I’ve found big differences between different labs on path reports. It maybe that one pathologist had keener eyes than another (and so spotted some regression that another person didn’t see) or it may be that the regressed area was so small (so “focal”) that one pathologist didn’t think it constituted evidence of regression at all and so dismissed it. Hard to know, although frustrating.

What matters FAR more in a path report is the depth (and it sounds like you will have gotten a fairly good reading on that if regression wasn’t a significant factor), mitotic rate, lymph/vascular invasion and clear margins.

Good luck……

AlisonC
Stage IIIB
NED since 2001

I had the same thing….right LND…and the physio came to see me on day 2 post surgery….as soon as my arm came down from the “sling” thingy it was in -for drainage- when I woke up. I swore at her a LOT but mobility was her goal and I have to thank her in retrospect. I wouldn’t wait…I would start sooner rather than later. The scar tissue will be quite tight once it’s finished forming so you want to gently stretch it as much as you can while it’s still just healing. I had quite a big surgery but was back to normal function within about 8 months I think.

I was given the “wall walks” someone else mentioned (10 years later I still have the pencil marks on the wall where we measured how much further up I could go each day) and also one where I laid on my back, holding a broom handle horizontally like you’re lifting a weight (something like that, but it has to be lightweight) and you raise both arms back over your head til the broom handle and your arms are lying on the floor/bed. Sounds easy but it took me months to get it right and to start with, your left arm does most of the work…..just keep your right arm on the handle to keep that stretch happening.

If you can find a specialist physiotherapist that would be my suggestion. I didn’t have radiation so as soon as I could, my physio had me start swimming freestyle…..it loosens the muscles and promotes movement but the pressure of the water also works to prevent lymphoedema.

It’s slow and not the nicest feeling in the world to know you’re pulling on a surgical scar, but keep moving and stretching as much as you can. I don’t have any restricted movement now and actually about 50%-60% of the post-surgical numbness has also receded over the years.

Good luck

AlisonC
Stage IIIB
NED since 2001

I had the same thing….right LND…and the physio came to see me on day 2 post surgery….as soon as my arm came down from the “sling” thingy it was in -for drainage- when I woke up. I swore at her a LOT but mobility was her goal and I have to thank her in retrospect. I wouldn’t wait…I would start sooner rather than later. The scar tissue will be quite tight once it’s finished forming so you want to gently stretch it as much as you can while it’s still just healing. I had quite a big surgery but was back to normal function within about 8 months I think.

I was given the “wall walks” someone else mentioned (10 years later I still have the pencil marks on the wall where we measured how much further up I could go each day) and also one where I laid on my back, holding a broom handle horizontally like you’re lifting a weight (something like that, but it has to be lightweight) and you raise both arms back over your head til the broom handle and your arms are lying on the floor/bed. Sounds easy but it took me months to get it right and to start with, your left arm does most of the work…..just keep your right arm on the handle to keep that stretch happening.

If you can find a specialist physiotherapist that would be my suggestion. I didn’t have radiation so as soon as I could, my physio had me start swimming freestyle…..it loosens the muscles and promotes movement but the pressure of the water also works to prevent lymphoedema.

It’s slow and not the nicest feeling in the world to know you’re pulling on a surgical scar, but keep moving and stretching as much as you can. I don’t have any restricted movement now and actually about 50%-60% of the post-surgical numbness has also receded over the years.

Good luck

AlisonC
Stage IIIB
NED since 2001

I had the same thing….right LND…and the physio came to see me on day 2 post surgery….as soon as my arm came down from the “sling” thingy it was in -for drainage- when I woke up. I swore at her a LOT but mobility was her goal and I have to thank her in retrospect. I wouldn’t wait…I would start sooner rather than later. The scar tissue will be quite tight once it’s finished forming so you want to gently stretch it as much as you can while it’s still just healing. I had quite a big surgery but was back to normal function within about 8 months I think.

I was given the “wall walks” someone else mentioned (10 years later I still have the pencil marks on the wall where we measured how much further up I could go each day) and also one where I laid on my back, holding a broom handle horizontally like you’re lifting a weight (something like that, but it has to be lightweight) and you raise both arms back over your head til the broom handle and your arms are lying on the floor/bed. Sounds easy but it took me months to get it right and to start with, your left arm does most of the work…..just keep your right arm on the handle to keep that stretch happening.

If you can find a specialist physiotherapist that would be my suggestion. I didn’t have radiation so as soon as I could, my physio had me start swimming freestyle…..it loosens the muscles and promotes movement but the pressure of the water also works to prevent lymphoedema.

It’s slow and not the nicest feeling in the world to know you’re pulling on a surgical scar, but keep moving and stretching as much as you can. I don’t have any restricted movement now and actually about 50%-60% of the post-surgical numbness has also receded over the years.

Good luck

AlisonC
Stage IIIB
NED since 2001

Leanne,
I’m so sorry for your loss. Your husband sounds like he was a very courageous man and he will be a role model for your boys. I hope your new life in Norway brings all the positive changes from here on in that you and Erik planned for. Thank you for sharing his story.

AlisonC
Stage IIIB
NED since 2001.

Leanne,
I’m so sorry for your loss. Your husband sounds like he was a very courageous man and he will be a role model for your boys. I hope your new life in Norway brings all the positive changes from here on in that you and Erik planned for. Thank you for sharing his story.

AlisonC
Stage IIIB
NED since 2001.

Leanne,
I’m so sorry for your loss. Your husband sounds like he was a very courageous man and he will be a role model for your boys. I hope your new life in Norway brings all the positive changes from here on in that you and Erik planned for. Thank you for sharing his story.

AlisonC
Stage IIIB
NED since 2001.

Urgh…..what an awful feeling. I can actually imagine it and it’s making my stomach feel funny. Don’t give up on hounding your surgeon! I hope it’s fixed quickly……

Good luck

AlisonC
Stage IIIB
NED since 2001

Urgh…..what an awful feeling. I can actually imagine it and it’s making my stomach feel funny. Don’t give up on hounding your surgeon! I hope it’s fixed quickly……

Good luck

AlisonC
Stage IIIB
NED since 2001

Urgh…..what an awful feeling. I can actually imagine it and it’s making my stomach feel funny. Don’t give up on hounding your surgeon! I hope it’s fixed quickly……

Good luck

AlisonC
Stage IIIB
NED since 2001