Melonma

[Guest guest]

I just saw your e mail. Don't know what it's about, but I have had melanoma,

2 yrs ago. Can I help with whatever you want to know?

Carol in LI, NY

[Guest guest]

My blood test showed that my protein level was higher than normal. What cancer

is associated with this? also my salt and magnesium levels were higher than

normal. I am doing krystal salt as my complete mineral supplement and vit c

protocol. Should I lower my intake of these? joyce

jamkaye@...<mailto:jamkaye@...> The heart Dr. dismissed me because my

heart catherization was normal even though my venous blood gas was 33% on

exertion.

[Guest guest]

FWIW: I also had melanoma; when I first got sick and my immunity was in the pit,

I guess. An endocrinologist who still believed in examining people's naked

bodies spotted it. I had never even noticed it. It was on the inner side of my

breast.

Adrienne

Re: Melonma

I just saw your e mail. Don't know what it's about, but I have had melanoma,

2 yrs ago. Can I help with whatever you want to know?

Carol in LI, NY

[Guest guest]

I wonder... has any body else out there had melanoma, and how sick were you

when you got it??? Taking a poll..

[Guest guest]

I'm wondering what was done to treat it? Surgery? and?

Marcia

Re: Melonma

I wonder... has any body else out there had melanoma, and how sick were you

when you got it??? Taking a poll..

[Guest guest]

Just surgery. I caught it the day it came out. It was melanoma insitu,

earliest stage. I have a long nasty scar. they dig down deep. Didn't need

anything

else. had the world's #1 dermatopathologist review my case.

[Guest guest]

Yeah: I had surgery also, and it was all I needed. It has been something like 20

yrs ago, when I first became chronic.

Adrienne

Re: Melonma

Just surgery. I caught it the day it came out. It was melanoma insitu,

earliest stage. I have a long nasty scar. they dig down deep. Didn't need

anything

else. had the world's #1 dermatopathologist review my case.

[Guest guest]

Mine was the size of an eraser head. Huge scar. It was on the back of my

arm, which is very common. The best dermatopathologist in tthe woorld is a guy

named Ackerman. I was a hsopital dietitian, so he read my report and slides;

diagnosed and made recommendations for me as a professional courtesy. As for

dermatologists, DO NOT TRUST THEM! the one I went to insisted it was not

melanoma, that it was an insect bite that I scratched. Had to scream at her to

make her biopsy it, instead of just watching it. a very good friend of mine died

from melenoma and it was a horrible death. He was very brave.She apologized

and wanted toknow how I knew it was melanoma and she did not. What a jerk!

Melanoma is black, irregular borders, crusts and scabs over and then bleeds. It

can also be behind your eyes, in the pigment of yur pupil, making it

important to have an opthamologist check your reyes out yearly. It can even be

in

your scalp. A good dermatologist will use a hair dryer thru your scalp, looking

for it. It caneven be internal, vaginally, or in your intestine. I take

naltraxone. It prevents cancer. If you had melanoma, going on it is a really

good

idea.If anything looks suspicious, I have it biopsied right away from a

friend who is a plastic surgeon.

[Guest guest]

For the record, I had surgery only, too. I was told at that time that chemo and

radiation were uncommon and unhelpful for Melanoma.

I had " Superficial Spreading Malignant Melanoma " on left ankle. I think it was

stage 2...don't know size/depth. I looked it up and found another name to be

" Galloping Melanoma " , because it moves so fast. Oh yeah, I was thrilled to hear

that. Yet thought Finally..a way out! (from CFIDS). Many other interesting

thoughts, as I had 6 weeks to know if they had succeeded.

Actually, before main surgery, I got kind of hyped up and did alot of fun stuff

lol.

They did very " Agressive Surgery " . Because getting clear margins is so crucial.

This involved much more than just the tumor. Will spare you the details. But

have 7 inch scar. 9 months to heal, sort of. Still have nerve damage.

This was at the 10 yr mark of CFS/CFIDS/ME, preceded by 4 or 5 years bedridden

average 20 hours a day.

Melanoma on the torso is most risky, and in men, most risky.

DO NOT DO WHAT I DID!!!!!!!!!!

For a few months I was car-less, brain-fogged and putting out all of the other

CFIDS fires. We (Dermatologist) had watched the spot for quite awhile. I kept

putting off the

next appointment.

If you have any concerns, IT IS EASY to get checked out. Find a good

Dermatologist. All clothes off, in a robe, he quickly checks you from head to

toe. That's it. That's his job.

If there is a suspicious, or changing spot, he removes and biopsies it. Not

thrilling, but a total piece of cake compared to alternative.

Melanoma is NOT like other Cancer. It is FAST moving. BUT, if caught. HIGHEST

survival rate...like 98%.

So, just say yes, and do it!

Katrina

P.S. The same week I was diagnosed with Cancer,

I won a car

In a Raffle

At the AIDS Project

Announced to me Live on the Radio

> Yeah: I had surgery also, and it was all I needed. It has been something like

20 yrs ago, when I first became chronic.

> Adrienne

> Re: Melonma

>

>

> Just surgery. I caught it the day it came out. It was melanoma insitu,

> earliest stage. I have a long nasty scar. they dig down deep. Didn't need

anything

> else. had the world's #1 dermatopathologist review my case.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Melanoma is not always black. I had to write about it a long time ago

and it scared me to learn it can be small, red, pearly even. Anything

that looks weird go get it biopsied. I had a very tiny dark mole on

the inside of my thigh and I didn't like it because its different

than anything else. The derm assured me it was fine but they took the

whole thing out for me anyway because I was feeling so neurotic. It

*was* fine but I'm glad I did it anyway, this was a few years ago.

> Mine was the size of an eraser head. Huge scar. It was on the back

of my

> arm, which is very common. The best dermatopathologist in tthe

woorld is a guy

> named Ackerman. I was a hsopital dietitian, so he read my report

and slides;

> diagnosed and made recommendations for me as a professional

courtesy. As for

> dermatologists, DO NOT TRUST THEM! the one I went to insisted it

was not

> melanoma, that it was an insect bite that I scratched. Had to

scream at her to

> make her biopsy it, instead of just watching it. a very good friend

of mine died

> from melenoma and it was a horrible death. He was very brave.She

apologized

> and wanted toknow how I knew it was melanoma and she did not. What

a jerk!

> Melanoma is black, irregular borders, crusts and scabs over and

then bleeds. It

> can also be behind your eyes, in the pigment of yur pupil, making

it

> important to have an opthamologist check your reyes out yearly. It

can even be in

> your scalp. A good dermatologist will use a hair dryer thru your

scalp, looking

> for it. It caneven be internal, vaginally, or in your intestine. I

take

> naltraxone. It prevents cancer. If you had melanoma, going on it

is a really good

> idea.If anything looks suspicious, I have it biopsied right away

from a

> friend who is a plastic surgeon.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Boy! I got off real lucky! But mine was brown, which they can be, never

crusted, scabbed or bled, though.

Adrienne

Melanoma is black, irregular borders, crusts and scabs over and then bleeds.

[Guest guest]

Katrina,

amazing story! Awesome that you won a car and that you caught the melanoma in

time. I thank all of your for sharing your melanoma experiences, I'm quite

surprised we have so many among us that have had this! So its obviously

something we all need to know about and I appreciate learning from your

experiences. I have related much of my cfs life to your thoughts of relief of a

possible 'way out out our cfs misery'(death). With this illness its much harder

to live decade after decade with it than it is to die. But after you get a lot

of years behind you with it, you kind of develop a sense of determination that

I've come 'this' far, its not gonna beat me now!

Marcia

Re: Melonma

For the record, I had surgery only, too. I was told at that time that chemo

and radiation were uncommon and unhelpful for Melanoma.

I had " Superficial Spreading Malignant Melanoma " on left ankle. I think it was

stage 2...don't know size/depth. I looked it up and found another name to be

" Galloping Melanoma " , because it moves so fast. Oh yeah, I was thrilled to hear

that. Yet thought Finally..a way out! (from CFIDS). Many other interesting

thoughts, as I had 6 weeks to know if they had succeeded.

Actually, before main surgery, I got kind of hyped up and did alot of fun

stuff lol.

They did very " Agressive Surgery " . Because getting clear margins is so

crucial. This involved much more than just the tumor. Will spare you the

details. But have 7 inch scar. 9 months to heal, sort of. Still have nerve

damage.

This was at the 10 yr mark of CFS/CFIDS/ME, preceded by 4 or 5 years

bedridden average 20 hours a day.

Melanoma on the torso is most risky, and in men, most risky.

DO NOT DO WHAT I DID!!!!!!!!!!

For a few months I was car-less, brain-fogged and putting out all of the other

CFIDS fires. We (Dermatologist) had watched the spot for quite awhile. I kept

putting off the

next appointment.

If you have any concerns, IT IS EASY to get checked out. Find a good

Dermatologist. All clothes off, in a robe, he quickly checks you from head to

toe. That's it. That's his job.

If there is a suspicious, or changing spot, he removes and biopsies it. Not

thrilling, but a total piece of cake compared to alternative.

Melanoma is NOT like other Cancer. It is FAST moving. BUT, if caught. HIGHEST

survival rate...like 98%.

So, just say yes, and do it!

Katrina

P.S. The same week I was diagnosed with Cancer,

I won a car

In a Raffle

At the AIDS Project

Announced to me Live on the Radio

[Guest guest]

hi i know this list is about your own experiqnce but one of my best friends

with cfids/fm who was a nurse got melanomia , about 18 years into this

illness and it spread fast with surgery requiring removing a large part of

her nose ..( still hasnt been able to finish the plastic surgery for it due

to other family issues).. she did have an overall imporvment in her illness

for a few months after the surgery but now back to pre surgery crappy

levels. ... and another close cfids/fm friend got cancer in her throat

which presented oddly ... kinda scarey but reality .tea

> [Original Message]

> From: Marcia <mgrahn@...>

> < >

> Date: 5/18/2005 1:08:47 PM

> Subject: Re: Re: Melonma

>

> Katrina,

> amazing story! Awesome that you won a car and that you caught the

melanoma in time. I thank all of your for sharing your melanoma

experiences, I'm quite surprised we have so many among us that have had

this! So its obviously something we all need to know about and I appreciate

learning from your experiences. I have related much of my cfs life to your

thoughts of relief of a possible 'way out out our cfs misery'(death). With

this illness its much harder to live decade after decade with it than it is

to die. But after you get a lot of years behind you with it, you kind of

develop a sense of determination that I've come 'this' far, its not gonna

beat me now!

>

> Marcia

> Re: Melonma

>

>

> For the record, I had surgery only, too. I was told at that time that

chemo and radiation were uncommon and unhelpful for Melanoma.

>

> I had " Superficial Spreading Malignant Melanoma " on left ankle. I think

it was stage 2...don't know size/depth. I looked it up and found another

name to be " Galloping Melanoma " , because it moves so fast. Oh yeah, I was

thrilled to hear that. Yet thought Finally..a way out! (from CFIDS). Many

other interesting thoughts, as I had 6 weeks to know if they had succeeded.

>

> Actually, before main surgery, I got kind of hyped up and did alot of

fun stuff lol.

>

> They did very " Agressive Surgery " . Because getting clear margins is so

crucial. This involved much more than just the tumor. Will spare you the

details. But have 7 inch scar. 9 months to heal, sort of. Still have nerve

damage.

>

> This was at the 10 yr mark of CFS/CFIDS/ME, preceded by 4 or 5 years

bedridden average 20 hours a day.

>

> Melanoma on the torso is most risky, and in men, most risky.

>

> DO NOT DO WHAT I DID!!!!!!!!!!

>

> For a few months I was car-less, brain-fogged and putting out all of

the other CFIDS fires. We (Dermatologist) had watched the spot for quite

awhile. I kept putting off the

> next appointment.

>

> If you have any concerns, IT IS EASY to get checked out. Find a good

Dermatologist. All clothes off, in a robe, he quickly checks you from head

to toe. That's it. That's his job.

>

> If there is a suspicious, or changing spot, he removes and biopsies it.

Not thrilling, but a total piece of cake compared to alternative.

>

> Melanoma is NOT like other Cancer. It is FAST moving. BUT, if caught.

HIGHEST survival rate...like 98%.

>

> So, just say yes, and do it!

>

> Katrina

>

> P.S. The same week I was diagnosed with Cancer,

>

> I won a car

>

> In a Raffle

>

> At the AIDS Project

>

> Announced to me Live on the Radio

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

When I was diagnosed with melanoma I had just remarried, my childhood

sweetheart who lived in Florida. Didn't move there after the melanoma. He said

he was

going to move to NY becasue of it, then time passed and he did not want to.

We kept going back and forth as to who was going to move where. And time

passed. During that time I found out he was not who he presented himself to be,

and

had a crazy, stressful dysfunctional life. Also found out he had cheated on me

the whole time, since Day One. My Mother thought the melanoma was a

" blessing " because I did not end up moving to Fla to be with him. I finally

decided to

move there and he was coming up to NY to get me in January. The day he was

coming up to get me , I called him and he said he was divorcing me. I had

already given up my business to be with him. Since then, I have gotten some of

my

clients back. My Mother still thinks the melanoma was a blessing that my life

would have been worse had I moved there. I guess I would have done it, because I

thought no one would put up with my lifestyle with this disease, and my crazy

cognitive issues. So, here I am, alone. I'll be 49 on Sunday. I guess the

melaonoma served a purpose in my life too. Hope my life turns out better, but at

49, my youth is almost behind me.