hello all. I’m very happy to be here, thank you for allowing me to join you. I was diagnosed with metastatic melanoma one year ago. It began with a malignant skin melanoma on my back which was surgically removed 8 years ago. Nothing was ever discussed, explained or suggested regarding any sort of follow up care. I’ll try to make this as short as possible. Last year I discovered a baseball-sized lump in my right armpit. I was started on immunotherapy with keytruda annd after 3 months the tumor had increased in size. I underwent surgery at Mayo Clinic and the surgeon was able to remove ALL the cancer. Unfortunately there was an entire year of problems to include a second surgery for infected foreign body at drainage-tube site, wound vacs and repeated trips to hospital which is a 2-hour drive from my home. It was a mess but I got through it all and on the day that was to be my last appointment with the surgeon, I asked “by the way, what is this little lump in my neck?”. The look that passed between the surgeon and her assistant was more than I could tolerate and I broke into hysterical sobbing. Now I’m on my third month of immunotherapy with Opdualag, scheduled for yet another PET scan on January 2 to determine results. I procrastinated joining this group for the last month because I had pretty much given up. I am a 69-year-old single woman with basically nothing to live for and I’m very tired of this illness, my life, the USA…. that’s not the right mind-set to try to heal myself BUT I know I CAN! When I pull myself out of this depression (it happens every now and then) and I start watching and reading about healing, I get excited and want to go for it. I have the faith, the tools and the basic knowledge, I just need to do it and I know that with help, love, understanding and encouragement ~ from people like you ~ I will heal myself and won’t have to leave my precious dogs homeless, which is my biggest fear and regret.
Welcome to the group, you really have been through the mill, but you are strong you’ve got urself this far & you are fighting it every day …everyone on here are on hard journeys & just by reading others stories it gives hope & strength.
its perfectly understandable to feel depressed & not see the point anymore ive been there too … I’ve spent alot of time at home in bed not interested in doing anything or going anywhere I don’t feel I should answer to anyone for the way I feel.
My last set of scans in November showed no evidence of disease I’m currently on nivolumab maintenance for the next 18months following 4 sessions of ipilimamab & nivolumab
so providing you can tolerate it immunotherapy really does work for melanoma .
Be kind to yourself you are doing so well considering everything that has been thrown at you.
sending you hugs 
Alli x
