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fightforfreedom

(4,913 posts)
Wed Mar 30, 2022, 12:34 PM Mar 2022

My melanoma treatment update.

All of my yelling, swearing, has worked. My surgeries are scheduled for next week. Talk about stress relief. One doctor's office and of course my insurance company, screwed up the process, that's fixed.

Right now the doctors believe I am at stage two, which is good news. They won't know for sure until after the surgeries. The doctor I talked to today today said even if it is stage 3 or 4, the new treatments are amazing.

So overall, good news. By the way, Fuck Trump.

36 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
My melanoma treatment update. (Original Post) fightforfreedom Mar 2022 OP
Best of luck for a quick recovery Walleye Mar 2022 #1
Good to hear. Thanks for info. How long did you see the spot before checking? LizBeth Mar 2022 #2
My melanoma never showed itself. fightforfreedom Mar 2022 #5
wow LizBeth Mar 2022 #9
Wow is right, it was a sneak attack. fightforfreedom Mar 2022 #12
Glad to hear it is unusual because that is scary. I will ask doctor about that LizBeth Mar 2022 #35
So glad you are getting what you need finally! hamsterjill Mar 2022 #3
Good news irisblue Mar 2022 #4
Hoping you recover completely and Bettie Mar 2022 #6
Drives me nuts how much the insurance that is supposed to keep you healthy, drives one insane. dutch777 Mar 2022 #7
Wishing you a speedy and good recovery. gademocrat7 Mar 2022 #8
great news! Ms. Toad Mar 2022 #10
I am expecting it to be upgraded to a higher level. fightforfreedom Mar 2022 #14
Unfortunately, not for mine - Ms. Toad Mar 2022 #21
+1 LizBeth Mar 2022 #36
Great news. AngryOldDem Mar 2022 #11
Good news... RestoreAmerica2020 Mar 2022 #13
Healing thoughts to you my friend FakeNoose Mar 2022 #15
Best wishes from a Melanoma survivor MySideOfTown Mar 2022 #16
Thank you. fightforfreedom Mar 2022 #18
Good wishes for a successful surgery True Blue American Mar 2022 #31
I've been fighting my insurance company too, so I'm glad that you have things resolved. TexasTowelie Mar 2022 #17
I cannot believe the American people in general cannot figure out insurance companies must go. fightforfreedom Mar 2022 #19
I think a lot of people just have no imagination. ShazzieB Mar 2022 #34
So glad that is resolved. Now you can move forward. onecaliberal Mar 2022 #20
Great news! BobTheSubgenius Mar 2022 #22
Good luck Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin Mar 2022 #23
I'm so happy to hear this, FF PlanetBev Mar 2022 #24
The squeaky wheel gets the surgery superpatriotman Mar 2022 #25
I have never been called a squeaky wheel before. fightforfreedom Mar 2022 #26
FINALLY!!! I'm ashamed of the difficulty you've had...not a way to run a health care system!!! Karadeniz Mar 2022 #27
Wonderful news people Mar 2022 #28
I wouldn't fuckk TFG with a dildo tied to a barge pole Warpy Mar 2022 #29
Best wishes for your success. usonian Mar 2022 #30
Good news... take care. RestoreAmerica2020 Mar 2022 #32
Good luck. I hope you have a early stage melanoma and there are amazing treatments now. Demsrule86 Mar 2022 #33

LizBeth

(9,952 posts)
2. Good to hear. Thanks for info. How long did you see the spot before checking?
Wed Mar 30, 2022, 12:37 PM
Mar 2022

I haven't been following your story but I'm interested. Getting my yearly skin check that is going on two years, in a couple weeks. Best to you....

 

fightforfreedom

(4,913 posts)
12. Wow is right, it was a sneak attack.
Wed Mar 30, 2022, 01:16 PM
Mar 2022

That's why I am going to kick the shit out of this melanoma. All of the doctors have said, this is unusually.

LizBeth

(9,952 posts)
35. Glad to hear it is unusual because that is scary. I will ask doctor about that
Wed Mar 30, 2022, 11:28 PM
Mar 2022

when I go in. I am a bit of a hypochondriac. At stage two though, I think you will absolutely kick its ass. !!!

hamsterjill

(15,220 posts)
3. So glad you are getting what you need finally!
Wed Mar 30, 2022, 12:39 PM
Mar 2022

Sucks that when you are already in a stressful medical situation, that there has to be even more stress trying to get proper treatment. I’m glad you stuck it out, and I wish you full and complete recovery and health

dutch777

(3,019 posts)
7. Drives me nuts how much the insurance that is supposed to keep you healthy, drives one insane.
Wed Mar 30, 2022, 12:51 PM
Mar 2022

They get worse by the day I swear. God's speed for a complete recovery and for a successful procedure.

Ms. Toad

(34,070 posts)
10. great news!
Wed Mar 30, 2022, 01:00 PM
Mar 2022

Staging depends on a lot of things that they can't determine until surgery (mitotic activity - how many cells are dividing (which bumped me up a grade - the deeper portion was dividing faster ) and (2) size (I can't be staged, since mine was taken out in two parts - but radiology is imprecise as to size)

Glad you got things resolved and have sugery calendared!

 

fightforfreedom

(4,913 posts)
14. I am expecting it to be upgraded to a higher level.
Wed Mar 30, 2022, 01:23 PM
Mar 2022

However, the doctor I talked to today said level 3 is very treatable and level 4 no longer means a death sentence. Level 4 is still bad news. There is no chemo involved in treatment. It looks like I will get one year of the new immunotherapy treatments. They say these treatments are game changers in many cancers.

Ms. Toad

(34,070 posts)
21. Unfortunately, not for mine -
Wed Mar 30, 2022, 02:14 PM
Mar 2022

But fortunately, I caught mine early so outlook looks signficantly better than for most people with sarcoma.

AngryOldDem

(14,061 posts)
11. Great news.
Wed Mar 30, 2022, 01:00 PM
Mar 2022

Must be a huge relief, but it’s a damn shame you had to also deal with this stress that was somebody else’s fault.

FakeNoose

(32,639 posts)
15. Healing thoughts to you my friend
Wed Mar 30, 2022, 01:27 PM
Mar 2022


It sounds like your doctors are taking good care of you. Best wishes for a quick recovery.

And Fuck Trump!

MySideOfTown

(225 posts)
16. Best wishes from a Melanoma survivor
Wed Mar 30, 2022, 01:52 PM
Mar 2022

It's good to have your surgery early as possible.

I was diagnosed with nodular melanoma in January 2005; stage 3C. Had surgery two weeks later. Have been in remission ever since.

You might want to check out this forum: https://forum.melanoma.org/ The patients there helped me a lot navigating my path forward.

TexasTowelie

(112,173 posts)
17. I've been fighting my insurance company too, so I'm glad that you have things resolved.
Wed Mar 30, 2022, 01:53 PM
Mar 2022

Good luck to you and I hope everything turns out favorably.

ShazzieB

(16,396 posts)
34. I think a lot of people just have no imagination.
Wed Mar 30, 2022, 03:55 PM
Mar 2022

Or very little, anyway. They're used to the way things are, and the current situation is working okay for them, so they don't see a problem. Until one day, our jacked up health care "system" bites them or someone they personally care about on the ass.

Maybe they lose the job that they've always relied on for health insurance, and are surprised at how hard it is to find another one with equally good benefits, or they need a treatment their insurance company doesn't want to approve. Or the copay for a drug they can't survive without suddenly goes through the roof. The list goes on and on, but the bottom line is, something they've been taking for granted suddenly just isn't there, and they realize what they've been relying on was a flimsy house of cards all along instead of the rock solid guarantee they thought it was. And they go, "Wow, this really is messed up, isn't it?"

Add to that the fact that way too many Americans are ill-informed about how health care works in other countries compared to the U.S., or how our health care falls short. Too many people believe that America has the "best health care system in the world," because that's what they've been told all their lives, and get all huffy if you try to explain why it actually isn’t. What's really needed, imo, is a massive public education program. But that costs money, so good luck with that. Especially since the insurance companies have loads of money to spend on lobbying to keep things the way they are.

PlanetBev

(4,104 posts)
24. I'm so happy to hear this, FF
Wed Mar 30, 2022, 02:29 PM
Mar 2022

A friend of mine had melanoma and it was Stage 2 when they discovered it. That was 20 years ago and she’s turning 80 this year.

Thank you for keeping us up to date!

Warpy

(111,257 posts)
29. I wouldn't fuckk TFG with a dildo tied to a barge pole
Wed Mar 30, 2022, 03:22 PM
Mar 2022

but I appreciate the sentiment.

Glad your treatment is going to happen.

usonian

(9,797 posts)
30. Best wishes for your success.
Wed Mar 30, 2022, 03:39 PM
Mar 2022

You succeeded over the hard part, the insurance company.

The rest should be easy!

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