Just Diagnosed w/ Stage 3

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  • Post
    • April 29, 2017 at 8:46 pm
    yoyopt
    Participant

      I'm currently waiting to heal from my 1st surgery in order to get my 2nd surgery (Complete Lymph Node Excision) at that point my stage will be updated and I will meet with my oncologist to plan immunotherapy treatment.

      Right now I feel ok. My doctor does not want me to return to work during my treatment- 6 months to a year- I am a Physical Therapist, so my job involves a lot of activity and heavy lifting. Not working is so strange for me, especially when I dont feel sick…My doctor says the treatment can be hard hitting…its also weird to have so much wait time before I start treatment that will make me sick.

      I'm 40yrs old. I am a single mom with a 1 year old daughter. I love boxing, and spinning, and yoga. I love sunshine and water and being outside. 

      I have no idea how to feel right now, or what to expect for this next year of treatment. If anyone can help with their experience please let me know.

       

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        • April 29, 2017 at 8:55 pm
        jennunicorn
        Participant

          First question is: are you seeing a melanoma specialist? This is an oncologist who only sees melanoma patients. It makes a huge difference in care and treatment planning and is very important. A whole lot of us still work during treatment, which is some form of immunotherapy, not chemotherapy like a lot of other cancers get for treatment and can be hard hitting in terms of how it makes a patient feel. A lot of folks on immunotherapy continue work full time through treatment. I still do yoga, hike, do all the activities I did before treatment. I get fatigued but it's nothing I can't work through. 

          • April 30, 2017 at 3:23 am
          Janner
          Participant

            Which immunotherapy are you doing?  Yervoy?  Interferon?  Many people work through treatment although I understand your job is quite physical.  It seems like instead of your doctor saying you shouldn't work, you might be able to see how you react to treatment?  Some people have few side effects at all.  Are you seeing a melanoma specialist or a general oncologist?

            • April 30, 2017 at 3:43 am
            Christinad
            Participant

              I am also stage III. I completed interferon treatment a year ago. I'm a nurse and was not able to work the first 6 months of treatment. 

              • August 29, 2017 at 12:26 am
              yoyopt
              Participant
                It’s been a while, but I have started immunotherapy. I was sick for a couple days, and then I felt fine…now about 2 weeks after my 1st dose I am really sick. Severe fatigue and nausea. Had some labs drawn today. I think a lot of it is stress. I have had a lot to deal with from insurance. I am not working currently. Hopefully I won’t have a poor reaction to the next dose. Scheduled for next Thursday. I am on a 3 year course of Yervoy
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