Symptoms of mets???

Hi

Those don't sound like typical symptoms.  However, no one on this site can say for sure.  The best thing is to  share those concerns with your oncologist.   Try not to let these things overwhelm you.  Hang in there and good luck.

Hi

Those don't sound like typical symptoms.  However, no one on this site can say for sure.  The best thing is to  share those concerns with your oncologist.   Try not to let these things overwhelm you.  Hang in there and good luck.

Hi

Those don't sound like typical symptoms.  However, no one on this site can say for sure.  The best thing is to  share those concerns with your oncologist.   Try not to let these things overwhelm you.  Hang in there and good luck.

Hi Sole,

Like you say, you've been through a pretty stressful time of late. One of the things that happens is our bodies produce more cortisol to help us deal with the stress and as things get better and you relax a little levels drop…at that point you are more likely to pick up a bug /illness. Do you have teacher friends that always seem to fall I'll during holidays?

You should mention it at your visit to the oncologist and tell him about the depression too. You are highly unlikely to be progressing to stage IV and are only just into stage 3. If it was breast cancer and they found only single cells in the node they would call that node negative. We know melanoma is different though . Try to find some distractions. Exercise, fresh air, friends and family. Enjoy life now if you can .The fear will recede into the background as you get used to the new normal……it does get easier to cope with.

Hi Sole,

Like you say, you've been through a pretty stressful time of late. One of the things that happens is our bodies produce more cortisol to help us deal with the stress and as things get better and you relax a little levels drop…at that point you are more likely to pick up a bug /illness. Do you have teacher friends that always seem to fall I'll during holidays?

You should mention it at your visit to the oncologist and tell him about the depression too. You are highly unlikely to be progressing to stage IV and are only just into stage 3. If it was breast cancer and they found only single cells in the node they would call that node negative. We know melanoma is different though . Try to find some distractions. Exercise, fresh air, friends and family. Enjoy life now if you can .The fear will recede into the background as you get used to the new normal……it does get easier to cope with.

Hi Sole,

Like you say, you've been through a pretty stressful time of late. One of the things that happens is our bodies produce more cortisol to help us deal with the stress and as things get better and you relax a little levels drop…at that point you are more likely to pick up a bug /illness. Do you have teacher friends that always seem to fall I'll during holidays?

You should mention it at your visit to the oncologist and tell him about the depression too. You are highly unlikely to be progressing to stage IV and are only just into stage 3. If it was breast cancer and they found only single cells in the node they would call that node negative. We know melanoma is different though . Try to find some distractions. Exercise, fresh air, friends and family. Enjoy life now if you can .The fear will recede into the background as you get used to the new normal……it does get easier to cope with.

It's common for someone newly diagnosed to feel hypersensistive about any sensations they are experiencing in the body. I am speaking as a guilty party here. It's a devastating diagnosis and it takes time for the shock to wear off. The anxiety it gives you can make you feel physically sick. I was a wreck, physically and mentally. Don't be embarassed to ask your primary care doc for a prescription to get you over the emotional hurdle of a cancer diagnosis. I was on antidepressants for a few months. They helped me sleep and function until I cleared the hurdle.

But that was close to 6 years ago. I was diagnosed Stage III and have remained there, praise God. 

A melanoma diagnosis won't stop your body from going through its normal paces in that you will still get sick from other things like colds and IBS. Your body will still react to anxiety. You will get toothaches, headaches, allergies, and hemorrhoids, etc. It's not necessarily a recurrence.

When that begins to sink in, you will become more at ease. At least I did. 

Your onc can fill you in on what to watch out for. He/she will also schedule you for scans to monitor you. You'll be put on a scan (CT, PET or combo of both) schedule that may look something like this:

* 1st year after diagnosis: 4x/year

* 2nd year after diagnosis: 3x/year

* 3 – 5 years after diagnosis: 2x/year

* After 5 years: 1x/year 

The scan schedules may vary between doctors but the main thing they have in common is that they decrease over time. In addition to all this surveillance, you will also be offered some treatment options.

Bottom line is that you will get through this and life does return to normal. 

It's common for someone newly diagnosed to feel hypersensistive about any sensations they are experiencing in the body. I am speaking as a guilty party here. It's a devastating diagnosis and it takes time for the shock to wear off. The anxiety it gives you can make you feel physically sick. I was a wreck, physically and mentally. Don't be embarassed to ask your primary care doc for a prescription to get you over the emotional hurdle of a cancer diagnosis. I was on antidepressants for a few months. They helped me sleep and function until I cleared the hurdle.

But that was close to 6 years ago. I was diagnosed Stage III and have remained there, praise God. 

A melanoma diagnosis won't stop your body from going through its normal paces in that you will still get sick from other things like colds and IBS. Your body will still react to anxiety. You will get toothaches, headaches, allergies, and hemorrhoids, etc. It's not necessarily a recurrence.

When that begins to sink in, you will become more at ease. At least I did. 

Your onc can fill you in on what to watch out for. He/she will also schedule you for scans to monitor you. You'll be put on a scan (CT, PET or combo of both) schedule that may look something like this:

* 1st year after diagnosis: 4x/year

* 2nd year after diagnosis: 3x/year

* 3 – 5 years after diagnosis: 2x/year

* After 5 years: 1x/year 

The scan schedules may vary between doctors but the main thing they have in common is that they decrease over time. In addition to all this surveillance, you will also be offered some treatment options.

Bottom line is that you will get through this and life does return to normal. 

It's common for someone newly diagnosed to feel hypersensistive about any sensations they are experiencing in the body. I am speaking as a guilty party here. It's a devastating diagnosis and it takes time for the shock to wear off. The anxiety it gives you can make you feel physically sick. I was a wreck, physically and mentally. Don't be embarassed to ask your primary care doc for a prescription to get you over the emotional hurdle of a cancer diagnosis. I was on antidepressants for a few months. They helped me sleep and function until I cleared the hurdle.

But that was close to 6 years ago. I was diagnosed Stage III and have remained there, praise God. 

A melanoma diagnosis won't stop your body from going through its normal paces in that you will still get sick from other things like colds and IBS. Your body will still react to anxiety. You will get toothaches, headaches, allergies, and hemorrhoids, etc. It's not necessarily a recurrence.

When that begins to sink in, you will become more at ease. At least I did. 

Your onc can fill you in on what to watch out for. He/she will also schedule you for scans to monitor you. You'll be put on a scan (CT, PET or combo of both) schedule that may look something like this:

* 1st year after diagnosis: 4x/year

* 2nd year after diagnosis: 3x/year

* 3 – 5 years after diagnosis: 2x/year

* After 5 years: 1x/year 

The scan schedules may vary between doctors but the main thing they have in common is that they decrease over time. In addition to all this surveillance, you will also be offered some treatment options.

Bottom line is that you will get through this and life does return to normal.