Recently diagnosed with Stage 4 Melanoma.

Good..it certainly helps having people to talk to. 

Hi 15s
I can say that at the beginning, it was a real rollercoaster of emotions and unknowns.

I, too, felt as you do/did - don't want to go out, always thinking about cancer, googling (don't!), no real conversation in me, not wanting people to come round to 'see how I am' - I felt anger, how do you think I am, Ive been diagnosed with Cancer was all that was in my head.

However, strangely, I felt relieved when I was told exactly what I had and my questions answered! Then, once I had a treatment plan, I felt more relieved, confident and happier there was a plan (although not the plan we'd originally thought) and structure.

I had my first consultant follow-up, a month after starting treatment, on Friday - treatment seems to be working, i.e. no pain, little side effects - I came out of the meeting gleaming but wanting to know more - how much is it working? Is cancer getting smaller or contained - another go on the rollercoaster?  I will have further scans in a couple of months, is what I was told, as the consultant wants to give the treatment a go - as long as I don't have pain, the treatment is working.

What's working for me is taking the positives from everything you do, even if it's just getting out of the house for a walk, speaking to people, doing what you used to do before you got the news....

I wish everyone all the very best.....

Hi Sean,

Thanks for replying and sharing your feelings/thoughts.

I've been called in to discuss my results next week with the consultant. The same one who casually told me he thinks my mole looked like melanoma and my head was taken over with cancer..he then went onto talk about it spreading to lymph nodes and stuff I'd never heard of before.

I find it hard to talk to friends.. people mean well and say be positive, fight it or you'll be ok. All the things I'd say to someone. In truth I just want to feel normal and be alive.

Obviously dreading the appointment but at least I'll have some facts to base my fears on.

I get all the emotions you wrote but my overwhelming thought is of not being around for my wife and children. It gets me so hard.

I took life for granted until this year...big mistake!!

I hope your treatment continues to go well and the pain stays away and the cancer gets cured and successfully treated. I'll update you next week or shut down depending what is said.

Wishing you every success and best wishes

Duncan 

Sean

I've just joined the group and seen your post. I have been on Enco/Bini for nearly 4 years now. It has worked well and there is no clear evidence of the original 3 tumours but I have side effects and the medication may have caused some minor lung damage. I come off it for a week or so every 6-9 months to get releif or if I am going away etc.

I guess you were changed from immunotherapy to targeted because your cancer was moving fast and Enco/Bini works faster than targeted. Downside of Enco/Bini is that it may not continue working for everyone and also you have to keep taking it indefinitely. However, I think if it stops working for you then you can then go to Immunotherapy, which would hopefully polish it off permanently.

There are options and you just have to believe its going to work for you and it probably will!!

Richard

Sounds a bit like my story

Hi,

What is your story? Really sorry you have to go through any of this stuff. I know from my experience how awful and consuming a cancer diagnosis can be. If I had a pound for every stay positive and you can beat this I'd be rich by now. I don't want to be this ill person with cancer but that's what I'm becoming sadly. Immunotherapy this,target treatment...all a blur tbh

I received the news last week it is malignant melanoma as I was originally told.

Now I'm booked in for biopsy on lymph nodes and more investigation in the original area. The cancer nurse was lovely and positive but it doesn't help with all this stuff that was alien to me only weeks ago.

It's awful and I don't feel like me anymore.

Good luck 

Thanks for sharing your experience

I get the thoughts about kids and wife , when I think about that I can't function 

I became a case in January!, diagnosed  Feb 28th , waiting on appointments and dealing with constant thoughts , my primary is in my toenail bed so didn't notice it...communication has been extremely poor

I have a large lump in my groin .which I know knowxis my lymph nodes they found the cancer there