Where do I go from here?

Hello. Sorry to hear your news. There’s no disputing it is going to be a stressful time for you. I was diagnosed with stage 3b melanoma about a year ago - on my foot. Fortunately it has not spread further than my lymph nodes. I’m coming to the end of 12 months of immunotherapy. All of this has been a massive shock as I have been in good health for 59 years then suddenly 12 months of constant hospital appointments, all at a time when I was due to retire and had plans for travel. The immunotherapy hasn’t been too bad - I’ve felt well, albeit with some side effects. And I’ve still been able to travel - Edinburgh, Paris, New Zealand, Cape Town and Italy - with reasonably priced holiday insurance and no problems. So it doesn’t have to be the end of your travelling and you will hopefully not have too many side effects. Best of luck with your treatment - if I can get through this, anyone can!

Thank you very much for replying- youve given me hope that the future isn’t as bleak as first thought. I hope you are enjoying your retirement now. 

Hi,

I'd reiterate what Cerys30 has said - I put my overseas travels on hold whilst I was undergoing treatment, as advised by my oncology team, however after two years of treatment I'm now in remission and enjoying my visits abroad (I'm writing this in Bruges!).

One side effect of my treatment is that I now have Addison's Disease which means I avoid travel to countries which may result in a dodgy tummy, but that's a personal choice rather than medical instructions.

Good luck in your treatment going forwards and let's hope your side effects are as tolerable as mine were.

All the best.