If it ain't one thing...

Kind of off topic but... I'm a lurker here only posting when I have something to add (not often) or when I get my latest PSA results.

Well, I had my yearly visit with the Dermatologist and he saw something funny where he had removed some skin on my right shoulder a couple of years ago. He said that whatever it was, it was back and he was going to get serious about it this time so he took out some more that involved several stitches. OK, not too bad. But a couple of days later the nurse called and asked that I come in to talk with the Doc, ASAP, no appt necessary! This is not good! From my days with the prostate, I asked if the margins were clear and the answer was no. Ouch! I was there thirty minutes later and was told that I had a Clark's 4 Melanoma that had gone vertical and was heading deeper into the skin. The Doc said that I needed further surgery on my right shoulder and that it would involve removing lymph nodes for analysis. His words were that if all was clear, I was probably OK but if not, "Life would get very complicated." I took that as also meaning potentially shorter. I met with a surgeon the next morning and had the surgery a week later. He took off a good hunk of my right shoulder and the sentinel lymph nodes (found using radioactive dye injected at the melanoma site) but, Thank Heaven, the pathology was good. I am now under the continuing care of a Medical Oncologist and have just completed my first ever PET Scan which also came back clear. He wants to follow up with a CT Scan in October. I also have to visit the skindoc every three months just as with the urologist after my RRP. Oh well, it could've been a lot worse.

That's it. Y'all hang in there and keep up the fight.

See ya...
Garth

wow - that is scary when you get a call like that. It must have set you're heart going to get that.

Glad to hear the path report came back good and we're not reading a "life got complicated report."

Hang in there. All the best for clear scans from now on.

Andrew

Garth,
Nothing turning up in the lymph nodes is a very good sign. My understanding is that Clark level by itself isn't a very trustworthy indicator of seriousness. I had a fairly large -- bigger than a dime -- level 3 melanoma removed from by back in 1985 followed by a wide excision --leaving a 6 inch scar as a souvenir. But I've had no further melanoma since then. The dermatologists don't give me much slack, given my history, so when I go for my annual checkup they sometimes take off a mole and send it to the lab, but so far all have been negative. I figure I provide good practice for the residents and med students.

Best of luck and please keep us posted.

Also, interesting what Juliet posted. I hadn't heard that before.

Jim

Garth - wishing you all the best -

Bronson

First, to Bronson and all the rest, Thanx for all the good wishes.

Juliet, that's good to know (although not good news). Both the dermodoc and the oncodoc said they will be keeping close watch as will I.

To 142, Purg, and many others in this list, your closing sentence was spot on. For many fighters here, it becomes a real multi-tasker and "one thing at a time" would be a significant improvement.

Andrew, you bet! Anything just slightly out of the ordinary that happens when Docs are involved puts me into serious fight-or-flight mode!

Jim, a 6" scar just about covers it for me as well. Plus, I can see a dip in the top of my shoulder that wasn't there before. I think the surgeon used an ice cream scoop while he was doing it!

The one "good thing" is that the PET report noted the RRP I had and that there were no signs of anything strange there as well. As they say, "Every cloud has a silver lining."

Again, Thanx for the kind thoughts and y'all keep up the fight.

See ya,
Garth

I had a somewhat similar experience. Four months after prostate cancer diagnosis and RRP, I went for an annual check-up with a dermatologist. I had been going for several years out of paranoia because of way too much sun exposure and way too many sunburns when I was younger. A "spot" had developed on the side of my forehead and I pointed it out at the check-up. Turned out to be a melanoma in situ (the earliest stage). Had a biopsy, followed by diagnosis, then had to see a plastic surgeon to take a wider margin. That was almost four years ago. I was checked every six months for a couple years and now go back annually. Everything seems fine, but if the light catches my forehead at the right angle, a pretty good scar can be seen to remind me to stay out of the sun...