Metastatic melanoma

Hi Gally,I was diagnosed with metastatic melanoma on my right shin July 2022,it was the size of half egg under my skin ,I had surgery to remove this lump August last year,remover of lump with a split thickness skin graft. By October it had come back in the area where I had the surgery in the August. So I had this 2nd lump ,which was like a small table tennis growing on top of my skin. I had surgery on the 

 17th November 2022,which was the excision of recurrent melanoma on right shin with a dermal substitute plus burning of bone and a vacuum pump, which I had on 4 weeks. Then within 2 weeks of surgery a 3rd lump had come back again in the same area as the surgery in August 2022. Again this lump was like the 2nd one. I had surgery to remove this 3rd lump on my right shin in January this year,melanoma- wide excision and split thickness skin graft. My oncology doctor finally then started me on immunotherapy, to drugs Nivolumab  and Ipilimumab in January  this year,was not good after the first treatment, but over the few weeks after I was better, so I had my 2nd treatment last Thursday, and I feel great at the moment... You will have your ups and downs  but keep talking to your friends and family and on this group and you will find support to keep you going ok sue 58

Hi Gally and I'm sorry to hear you have a recurrence of melanoma.  It sounds like a really tough time for you with you already being on treatment for multiple myeloma too.  You said you had lymph nodes removed a year ago from your neck and they were positive for melanoma, did you have a primary site such as a mole too?  Were you offered any treatment at the time which is usual if the cancer has already travelled to the lymph nodes from a primary site.  Sometimes a primary site isn't found just enlarged lymph nodes but the person is given adjuvant immunotherapy anyway as the cells have already spread.  It's positive at least that it's been picked up quickly this time round and I hope that your oncologist can sort out a treatment plan for you that you can take alongside your multiple myeloma treatment. Are you sure that you can't have regular melanoma drugs?

I think anyone would find it hard to "cope" in your situation so don't feel bad.  There are support systems out there to help.  Macmillan itself does have a phone line to chat with someone, they also offer six sessions of phone support, I believe they also have a ' buddy' system whereby you get matched up with a person who rings you weekly to check in with you.  There is of course also all of us here too.  

I finished my year of immunotherapy last August and am in a sort of no-man's land post treatment plus the check ups are now only every 6 months after government changed to guidelines (see NICE guidelines on the government website).  

Hang on in there, try and take one day at a time, avoid googling for info as you'll maybe scare yourself plus read untruths.  If you can, think of questions you want to ask before your next oncologist appointment, maybe take someone with you to listen as well so no info is missed. 

Take care and let us know how you get on Gally. X

Thank you so much for your support it really helps to know that others have done this! Yes the primary was a brown mark on my face that suddenly started to change. I wasn't offered treatment as it was thought that it was unlikely to reacure and the treatment would offer little change to the odds. After alot of upset today I am being seen tomorrow and hope to hear if I can continue with Myeloma treatment and what if anything can be done e to sort my neck which is getting bigger and causing nerve pain now. Thank you again for sharing your story wishing you good health. Mx