3rd Primary

I'm another in the three melanoma club. Like Janner, I have had three thin melanomas. In my case, one in situ, one 0.17mm, one 0.33mm – so one stage 0 and two stage 1. I have never had genetic testing and when I've asked doctors they don't seem to recommend it (I'm in Australia so multiple melanomas are perhaps reasonably common). My dr said the most she has removed from one patient is five, though there are people on the boards with more than that. I remember seeing an interview with one elderly lady in Australia – it was about her lawn bowling activities – but in passing she mentioned having her eighth melanoma removed. It's never held her back: people with multiple melanomas tend to be super vigilant with skin checks so any new ones are found early and thin.  I'm only one year out from having my three removed (all found/removed in the same year), whereas I think Janner is 23 years out from original diagnosis and as she says 15 years out from last diagnosis. So, hopefully three is the lucky last for us all. Chances are it is, I think the % of people getting more than three drops and drops and drops to very low, very improbable numbers. All the best, friend – what a shame that third one wasn't caught in situ. In my experience, an in situ diagnosis is infinitely less stressful than a melanoma which has become invasive, even very thin melanomas. Who knows, perhaps we will be very useful to science one day – there are so few of us with multiple melanomas, we can take comfort in the fact that our survival stats are better (we seem to develop some kind of immunity) AND perhaps one day we can help out in science studies. I would happily participate and do my bit in the fight for a cure or much earlier detection (eg in situ detection).

I'm another in the three melanoma club. Like Janner, I have had three thin melanomas. In my case, one in situ, one 0.17mm, one 0.33mm – so one stage 0 and two stage 1. I have never had genetic testing and when I've asked doctors they don't seem to recommend it (I'm in Australia so multiple melanomas are perhaps reasonably common). My dr said the most she has removed from one patient is five, though there are people on the boards with more than that. I remember seeing an interview with one elderly lady in Australia – it was about her lawn bowling activities – but in passing she mentioned having her eighth melanoma removed. It's never held her back: people with multiple melanomas tend to be super vigilant with skin checks so any new ones are found early and thin.  I'm only one year out from having my three removed (all found/removed in the same year), whereas I think Janner is 23 years out from original diagnosis and as she says 15 years out from last diagnosis. So, hopefully three is the lucky last for us all. Chances are it is, I think the % of people getting more than three drops and drops and drops to very low, very improbable numbers. All the best, friend – what a shame that third one wasn't caught in situ. In my experience, an in situ diagnosis is infinitely less stressful than a melanoma which has become invasive, even very thin melanomas. Who knows, perhaps we will be very useful to science one day – there are so few of us with multiple melanomas, we can take comfort in the fact that our survival stats are better (we seem to develop some kind of immunity) AND perhaps one day we can help out in science studies. I would happily participate and do my bit in the fight for a cure or much earlier detection (eg in situ detection).

I'm another in the three melanoma club. Like Janner, I have had three thin melanomas. In my case, one in situ, one 0.17mm, one 0.33mm – so one stage 0 and two stage 1. I have never had genetic testing and when I've asked doctors they don't seem to recommend it (I'm in Australia so multiple melanomas are perhaps reasonably common). My dr said the most she has removed from one patient is five, though there are people on the boards with more than that. I remember seeing an interview with one elderly lady in Australia – it was about her lawn bowling activities – but in passing she mentioned having her eighth melanoma removed. It's never held her back: people with multiple melanomas tend to be super vigilant with skin checks so any new ones are found early and thin.  I'm only one year out from having my three removed (all found/removed in the same year), whereas I think Janner is 23 years out from original diagnosis and as she says 15 years out from last diagnosis. So, hopefully three is the lucky last for us all. Chances are it is, I think the % of people getting more than three drops and drops and drops to very low, very improbable numbers. All the best, friend – what a shame that third one wasn't caught in situ. In my experience, an in situ diagnosis is infinitely less stressful than a melanoma which has become invasive, even very thin melanomas. Who knows, perhaps we will be very useful to science one day – there are so few of us with multiple melanomas, we can take comfort in the fact that our survival stats are better (we seem to develop some kind of immunity) AND perhaps one day we can help out in science studies. I would happily participate and do my bit in the fight for a cure or much earlier detection (eg in situ detection).

BTW wounds often itch, it's part of healing. Unless your melanoma itched BEFORE it was removed, I wouldn't take your post-op itching to be anything other than part of healing.

BTW wounds often itch, it's part of healing. Unless your melanoma itched BEFORE it was removed, I wouldn't take your post-op itching to be anything other than part of healing.

BTW wounds often itch, it's part of healing. Unless your melanoma itched BEFORE it was removed, I wouldn't take your post-op itching to be anything other than part of healing.