Melanoma Part 3 – Whats Next?

A week after surgery, my surgeon called with the results of the labs that had been sent from the surgery. This was when things took a difficult turn. They had found melanoma in the nodes in both armpits, this was officially stage 3, and I would need to get in to have scans and a brain MRI to make sure that it hadn’t gone beyond the lymph nodes. That phone call changed me. I think I blocked a lot of it out.

I picked up the phone and started making phone calls, to family. Calling my mom and dad and having to tell them that this was more serious than we thought was so hard. By the time I made it through my family I was about wiped out. Emotionally I couldn’t even call any of my friends. I had to just sit and process it all.

The next week I went in for a my whole body scan and my MRI. As I passed through the MRI machine I was praying so hard, and I had a word come into my mind, TRUST. That is all just TRUST. I knew that was my answer, I needed to trust that there was a plan for me. Trust that I am in good hands. Trust that I have the support that I need. Trust myself to listen to what my body needs.

We found out shortly that the scans were good, there was nothing that showed up that was concerning. I was so relieved, I really needed some good news at this point, and I cannot tell you how much burden was lifted. My surgeon said the team of oncologists were going to discuss my case and that he would let me know what they thought would be best for our next step at our post op appointment.

At our post op appointment he took a long time talking about the surgery and why he decided to take more lymph nodes than he thought he would have to. He took a long time explaining melanoma and answering our questions. He told us that they had seen a very small growth on the right lung, but that we don’t need to be concerned with it right now. He said that he and the other oncologists thought the best option from here would be immunotherapy, and he has sent a referral over to a medical oncologist, she would be the one handling all my transfusions and symptoms as they arise.

Kate Blom