SaveMySister

Sorry to hear about your mum, Helen. I didn't even know a person could get 1000s of lesions! It is horrible when you think the cancer has been cleared up and then it sneaks back up without warning, it's devastating. Are they able to offer your mum a treatment option that looks hopeful?

Sorry to hear about your mum, Helen. I didn't even know a person could get 1000s of lesions! It is horrible when you think the cancer has been cleared up and then it sneaks back up without warning, it's devastating. Are they able to offer your mum a treatment option that looks hopeful?

Sorry to hear about your mum, Helen. I didn't even know a person could get 1000s of lesions! It is horrible when you think the cancer has been cleared up and then it sneaks back up without warning, it's devastating. Are they able to offer your mum a treatment option that looks hopeful?

^^This reply was to Janner!

^^This reply was to Janner!

^^This reply was to Janner!

Thank you for all that info! It is interesting that they always metion blue-eyed people. My sister was a red head with green eyes. I assume green eyes also have a higher risk.

Part of my paranoia stems from the fact that I know nothing else about the family health history on my mother's side.  But I understand the current belief is that if my mother had any melanoma, it would have made itself known in her younger years, way before her death at 69. 

The other part of my paranoia is simply from being surrounded by family members, including myself, who have shown up in that less than 1% of patients that have horrible outcomes from surgeries, including near-death, from fairly routine procedures.  We also seem to suffer from conditions that are unusual, that seem to pop up out of nowhere. Over time, this makes it harder to maintain with any confidence that "it won't happen to me."

Again, I just want to be vigilant if I were to get any early signs that are not skin symptoms, if there are any possible warning signs.  I have been plagued by chest congestion since spring, for example, so I start to wonder if this recurring problem might be indicative of a tumor on my lung. I never used to have any stomach problems, and I have been been having several episodes of nausea since the fall. I did have a chest xray last September that only revealed asthma, but I wonder if you need a CT scan to see a tumor. I seem to never feel energetic anymore.  I am hoping my immune system is just down from grief.  I don't want to be stupid and waste time worrying about nothing, but I also don't want to be stupid and miss signs.  We've learned we can't always trust the doctors to get it right.

I realize I probably sound like a basket case. Thanks for the ear!

Thank you for all that info! It is interesting that they always metion blue-eyed people. My sister was a red head with green eyes. I assume green eyes also have a higher risk.

Part of my paranoia stems from the fact that I know nothing else about the family health history on my mother's side.  But I understand the current belief is that if my mother had any melanoma, it would have made itself known in her younger years, way before her death at 69. 

The other part of my paranoia is simply from being surrounded by family members, including myself, who have shown up in that less than 1% of patients that have horrible outcomes from surgeries, including near-death, from fairly routine procedures.  We also seem to suffer from conditions that are unusual, that seem to pop up out of nowhere. Over time, this makes it harder to maintain with any confidence that "it won't happen to me."

Again, I just want to be vigilant if I were to get any early signs that are not skin symptoms, if there are any possible warning signs.  I have been plagued by chest congestion since spring, for example, so I start to wonder if this recurring problem might be indicative of a tumor on my lung. I never used to have any stomach problems, and I have been been having several episodes of nausea since the fall. I did have a chest xray last September that only revealed asthma, but I wonder if you need a CT scan to see a tumor. I seem to never feel energetic anymore.  I am hoping my immune system is just down from grief.  I don't want to be stupid and waste time worrying about nothing, but I also don't want to be stupid and miss signs.  We've learned we can't always trust the doctors to get it right.

I realize I probably sound like a basket case. Thanks for the ear!

Thank you for all that info! It is interesting that they always metion blue-eyed people. My sister was a red head with green eyes. I assume green eyes also have a higher risk.

Part of my paranoia stems from the fact that I know nothing else about the family health history on my mother's side.  But I understand the current belief is that if my mother had any melanoma, it would have made itself known in her younger years, way before her death at 69. 

The other part of my paranoia is simply from being surrounded by family members, including myself, who have shown up in that less than 1% of patients that have horrible outcomes from surgeries, including near-death, from fairly routine procedures.  We also seem to suffer from conditions that are unusual, that seem to pop up out of nowhere. Over time, this makes it harder to maintain with any confidence that "it won't happen to me."

Again, I just want to be vigilant if I were to get any early signs that are not skin symptoms, if there are any possible warning signs.  I have been plagued by chest congestion since spring, for example, so I start to wonder if this recurring problem might be indicative of a tumor on my lung. I never used to have any stomach problems, and I have been been having several episodes of nausea since the fall. I did have a chest xray last September that only revealed asthma, but I wonder if you need a CT scan to see a tumor. I seem to never feel energetic anymore.  I am hoping my immune system is just down from grief.  I don't want to be stupid and waste time worrying about nothing, but I also don't want to be stupid and miss signs.  We've learned we can't always trust the doctors to get it right.

I realize I probably sound like a basket case. Thanks for the ear!

Sorry for the late reply, I came down with some stomach/congestion virus (I assume) on NYE. 

My sister was on a steroid nasal spray, and took steroids for a lung infection in 2011.  I am not certain how often she was given steroids for her swollen foot or spine issues.  They put her on a variety of meds in '11 trying to solve her mysterious nasal and chest congestion and generalized itching.  So I wonder if her immune system was showing signs of fighting the cancer back then. 

I thought it was odd that the basal cells that showed up on my arm were not in a spot that actually got very much sun, so this made me more concerned — but I am feeling a bit relieved after reading your and the others' posts.  Thanks for helping to put my risk in perspective.

Sorry for the late reply, I came down with some stomach/congestion virus (I assume) on NYE. 

My sister was on a steroid nasal spray, and took steroids for a lung infection in 2011.  I am not certain how often she was given steroids for her swollen foot or spine issues.  They put her on a variety of meds in '11 trying to solve her mysterious nasal and chest congestion and generalized itching.  So I wonder if her immune system was showing signs of fighting the cancer back then. 

I thought it was odd that the basal cells that showed up on my arm were not in a spot that actually got very much sun, so this made me more concerned — but I am feeling a bit relieved after reading your and the others' posts.  Thanks for helping to put my risk in perspective.

Sorry for the late reply, I came down with some stomach/congestion virus (I assume) on NYE. 

My sister was on a steroid nasal spray, and took steroids for a lung infection in 2011.  I am not certain how often she was given steroids for her swollen foot or spine issues.  They put her on a variety of meds in '11 trying to solve her mysterious nasal and chest congestion and generalized itching.  So I wonder if her immune system was showing signs of fighting the cancer back then. 

I thought it was odd that the basal cells that showed up on my arm were not in a spot that actually got very much sun, so this made me more concerned — but I am feeling a bit relieved after reading your and the others' posts.  Thanks for helping to put my risk in perspective.

Thank you for your thoughtful reply.  I hope you're right about my odds of getting melanoma are as low as anyone else's in the world. My dermatologist tells me that having a sibling who had melanoma does put me at an increased risk, esp. with the basal cells they found on me in October. 

I worry more because my Irish grandfather died at 43 of a "skin infection"…. 1935 in West Virginia — would they have even recognized melanoma? So I do wonder about the genetic component.  (But at least his diagnosis would have indicated a skin lesion.)  My grandfather had no other children besides my mom and he did not raise her so I know nothing else about the blood line.  And being that my mom died at 69 of a heart attack, I have no idea if she would've developed any skin cancer.  She never got checked but did have a lot of moles.

You're right, my sister's case was extreme and hopefully extremely rare. We expect she had the melanoma for quite a while but it did not cause any known effects until her ruptured spleen compromised her immune system so severely that the cancer spread like wild fire. But that's the curious thing — how people can have melanoma internally and not have any symptoms.  It just seems like there should be SOMETHING to flag concern, like breathing issues, swelling, chronic fatigue, etc.  Once I broke out in chronic hives for months & I was checked for lung cancer, as that apparently can be a symptom.  So why not something for this deadly melanoma? 🙁

I do appreciate your input; I will try to put my worries aside.

Thank you for your thoughtful reply.  I hope you're right about my odds of getting melanoma are as low as anyone else's in the world. My dermatologist tells me that having a sibling who had melanoma does put me at an increased risk, esp. with the basal cells they found on me in October. 

I worry more because my Irish grandfather died at 43 of a "skin infection"…. 1935 in West Virginia — would they have even recognized melanoma? So I do wonder about the genetic component.  (But at least his diagnosis would have indicated a skin lesion.)  My grandfather had no other children besides my mom and he did not raise her so I know nothing else about the blood line.  And being that my mom died at 69 of a heart attack, I have no idea if she would've developed any skin cancer.  She never got checked but did have a lot of moles.

You're right, my sister's case was extreme and hopefully extremely rare. We expect she had the melanoma for quite a while but it did not cause any known effects until her ruptured spleen compromised her immune system so severely that the cancer spread like wild fire. But that's the curious thing — how people can have melanoma internally and not have any symptoms.  It just seems like there should be SOMETHING to flag concern, like breathing issues, swelling, chronic fatigue, etc.  Once I broke out in chronic hives for months & I was checked for lung cancer, as that apparently can be a symptom.  So why not something for this deadly melanoma? 🙁

I do appreciate your input; I will try to put my worries aside.

Thank you for your thoughtful reply.  I hope you're right about my odds of getting melanoma are as low as anyone else's in the world. My dermatologist tells me that having a sibling who had melanoma does put me at an increased risk, esp. with the basal cells they found on me in October. 

I worry more because my Irish grandfather died at 43 of a "skin infection"…. 1935 in West Virginia — would they have even recognized melanoma? So I do wonder about the genetic component.  (But at least his diagnosis would have indicated a skin lesion.)  My grandfather had no other children besides my mom and he did not raise her so I know nothing else about the blood line.  And being that my mom died at 69 of a heart attack, I have no idea if she would've developed any skin cancer.  She never got checked but did have a lot of moles.

You're right, my sister's case was extreme and hopefully extremely rare. We expect she had the melanoma for quite a while but it did not cause any known effects until her ruptured spleen compromised her immune system so severely that the cancer spread like wild fire. But that's the curious thing — how people can have melanoma internally and not have any symptoms.  It just seems like there should be SOMETHING to flag concern, like breathing issues, swelling, chronic fatigue, etc.  Once I broke out in chronic hives for months & I was checked for lung cancer, as that apparently can be a symptom.  So why not something for this deadly melanoma? 🙁

I do appreciate your input; I will try to put my worries aside.