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JustJaren
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JustJaren

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      • June 8, 2017 at 7:46 pm
      JustJaren
      Participant

        May you and your family and friends have peace during this transition. xoxo

        • March 7, 2017 at 3:19 pm
        JustJaren
        Participant

          Hi!

          I hope you are feeling better today!

          I wanted to tell you that after my SLNB came back positive my oncologist had me immediately go in for a full body scan. There was a spot on me that had been there as long as I can remember. It was BIG, it was multiple colors. I had always thought it was a birthmark and a previous dermatologist had told me "it's nothing", but now that I had been diagnosed with melanoma everyone was on high alert. My oncologist was now worried about this very large, multi-colored, uneven bordered mole. My dermatologist voiced intense concern over this spot. I was PETRIFIED for 5 days. If this large spot came back as mel it would be BAD! But guess what? It was completely benign. NOTHING. Not even atypical cells. 

          My point is, you can't worry and fret over perceived danger. It causes you undue anxiety and is certainly not good for your new baby. 🙂 Have faith that everything will be fine, enjoy your baby and IF it comes back as mel, dela with it then. 

          YOU WILL BE OK young lady!

          Best wishes~!

          • March 7, 2017 at 2:54 pm
          JustJaren
          Participant

            Congrats!  I follow you fairly closely as you decided not to do the CLND and I made the same decision. 

            Of course, not everyone is the same, but you are the only one that posts often that has a similar situation. 

            This news makes me HAPPY! 

            • February 22, 2017 at 8:00 pm
            JustJaren
            Participant

              HI. I can't beleive I saw this today as I have been wrestling with the decision as well. 

              Initially I had 2 oncologists tell me "this is standard procedure" but then yesterday i saw a specialist at Emory who stated as others have, that there is no difference in OS between doing the surgery and not doing the surgery. W/out surgery there is a greater risk of node recurrence and the complications can be worse than earlier performed CLND. However, in my case, they found only '3 or 4' cancer cells in the SLN and the specialist said since I am overweight I am at a higher risk of complications and that he is very comfortable in recommending the 'watch and wait' approach. He also stated that he is 100% confident that specialists at Memorial-Sloan and MD Anderson would recommend the same. He cited the DECOG trials as a reference and said that while the MSLT II trial is still too early to give definitive answers, that he did not anticipate much difference in that outcome from the DECOG trial. 

              I will watch and wait and pray and be as healthy as possible, believing that they removed the cancer with the SLN removal.   🙂

              I don't know the details on your initial lesion, as that played an integral part of the surgeon's recommendation. 

              Best wishes to you for the clarity and decision that I KNOW is oh so very hard. Please reach out if you need to talk through your feelings, as I know them all too well.   heart

              • February 7, 2017 at 7:18 pm
              JustJaren
              Participant

                and any recos for melanoma specialists in the Atlanta area?

                • February 7, 2017 at 7:18 pm
                JustJaren
                Participant

                  and any recos for melanoma specialists in the Atlanta area?

                  • March 28, 2017 at 5:02 pm
                  JustJaren
                  Participant

                    Thanks for the response. I had an ultrasound on my ovaries for something (hopefully) unrelated and it happened that the area they were surveilling was right where this 'ghost' pain was from so hopefully if it was anything worht noting it will be revealed in today's ultrasound. 

                    We rode 10 miles on the bicycles on Sunday so maybe it was related to that. I don't lean aganst my pubic bone when riding, but anyhting is possible. 

                    Some days I feel like I was a lucky one and it is GONE and others I am paranoid about EVERYTHING. 

                    • March 28, 2017 at 5:00 pm
                    JustJaren
                    Participant

                      Thanks for the response. 

                      • March 7, 2017 at 3:04 pm
                      JustJaren
                      Participant

                        Excellent post~!

                        • February 27, 2017 at 9:52 pm
                        JustJaren
                        Participant

                          Great advice!

                          • February 16, 2017 at 1:07 pm
                          JustJaren
                          Participant

                            Thanks for your reply Deb. My second opinion is with a mel specialist at Emory. He teaches the lap technique locally, has performed quite a few. His office claims to have access to preliminary data to MSLT II. We shall see. 

                            I have read that with lapro they don't get as 'clean' but my sentinel had 4 cancer cells on the way IN to the node, Statistically, on average, I have an 80% chance there is no more involvement. Hoping that since there were only 4 cancer cells on the way in, that was it and further surgery will not be recommended by this specialist. (Delmar, Emory).

                            Thanks for the response and link. My original was only .86. I beat myself up daily, wishing I had gone for a skin check sooner, as recommended. sad

                            • February 16, 2017 at 1:07 pm
                            JustJaren
                            Participant

                              Thanks for your reply Deb. My second opinion is with a mel specialist at Emory. He teaches the lap technique locally, has performed quite a few. His office claims to have access to preliminary data to MSLT II. We shall see. 

                              I have read that with lapro they don't get as 'clean' but my sentinel had 4 cancer cells on the way IN to the node, Statistically, on average, I have an 80% chance there is no more involvement. Hoping that since there were only 4 cancer cells on the way in, that was it and further surgery will not be recommended by this specialist. (Delmar, Emory).

                              Thanks for the response and link. My original was only .86. I beat myself up daily, wishing I had gone for a skin check sooner, as recommended. sad

                              • February 7, 2017 at 7:47 pm
                              JustJaren
                              Participant

                                AGREE!!!

                                • February 7, 2017 at 7:47 pm
                                JustJaren
                                Participant

                                  AGREE!!!

                                  • February 7, 2017 at 7:47 pm
                                  JustJaren
                                  Participant

                                    AGREE!!!

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