surfwid's Cancer Blog
May 26, 2008
| Newly Diganosed Melanoma | Views: 682 |
Never in a million years did I think I would have my own cancer blog page. I guess this is the way everyone must feel.
My cancer is newly diagnosed. My primary care physician, Dr Anna Mellor, noticed a “suspicious” mole on my back during my yearly visit. She felt it needed attention and sent me to a dermotologist, Dr. Shirlene Jay. The mole was in a location that I could not see in the mirror. It was mid back, a little to the right. I must admit that I procrastinated making the appointment. It was several months before I finally saw Dr Jay. My father died of malignant melanoma. You’d think I would have gotten my butt in there instantly. Hind sight is always 20/20.
I am a “spotty” person. I spent my teenage years in the 60’s on the beach in Southern California slathered in baby oil. We even added iodine to the baby oil to make us darker. We were so ignorant back then.
Dr Jay gave me a full-body exam and found two additional spots she wanted to biopsy. She called me several days later with the news. Two of the spots, one on my neck and one on the back of my right calf, were squamous cell. The “suspicious” mole on my back was melanoma.
She immediately made an appointment for me with Dr Richard Essner at The John Wayne Cancer Institute in at St John’s Hospital in Santa Monica. I saw him five days after my diagnosis of melanoma. I was scheduled for surgery right away. I had surgery one week and one day after diagnosis. they don’t mess around with melanoma! This all happened so quickly that I never even had time to really think about it. I had cancer. Damn.
The day after my appointment with Dr Essner, I went back to St John’s nuclear medicine for lymphatic mapping. The site of the melanoma was injected with a radioactive contrast. They were looking for the lymphatic drainage path of the melanoma. The identified two sentinel nodes in my right armpit. They would be biopsied during surgery.
The next moring, I arrived at St John’s at 5:30 a.m. My surgery was scheduled for 7:00. Everything went smoothly. Dr Essner took one of the sentinel nodes to be checked by pathology to see if the cancer has spread. I will find out the results when I go in Wednesday for my firt post op appointment. He also did a wide excision of the melanoma sight. My husband removed the dressing today and, I must say, IT IS A HUGE INCISION. I was warned ahead of time, but it is just plain HUGE! Thank God it’s on my back and not my neck or face.
My melanoma was discovered eary, thanks to my wonderful primary care physician. It is Stage I with a depth .58 mm. The prognosis is good, but I will not know for sure until we get the pathologist’s report back. My mother always told me to think positively, and that is what I am doing.
Thanks for your support -
Welcome to the family. Keep us updated.
Hugs Sherri
My husband was recently diagnosed with neurotropic melanoma and we too are under the care of Dr.Richard Essner who is one of the best – We are thankful we have him. Our first appt was this past Wed. and my husband is scheduled for surgery this next Tuesday. He is currently staged as a Stage II - dependant on the outcome of the lymph node biopsy and whether any nodes are affected could place him in a Stage III - This type of melanoma is not visually seen – it is regular flesh colored and it is growing in the dermis layer, not the top ( epidermis ) It felt like an ingrown hair, cyst or pimple is really what he thought it was at first….but it hurt to touch it and when it did not let up he went to the dermatologist. Funny how things play out – he actually had an appt in March 08 and the doc had to cancel it…..in between that time and the new appt 3 wks later this thing reared up. If he had gone to the original appt in March he said he would most likely never have returned back as he would have been issued a clean bill and not have gone back to check this out. Our prayers are with you – stay positive and strong. We are in good hands with Dr.Essner as far as I am concerned.