Courtneys Mama

Hi Elisa,

My 16 year old daughter has a Stage 2C melanoma as well.  Her tumor was 7mm, ulcerated, invasive, high mitotic rate of 20.  She is a St. Jude patient and they put her on 4 weeks of high dose interferon, and another 48 weeks of peginterferon injections 1x per week.  Her options were the peg or to wait and watch, and reading how fast spreading this cancer is, waiting was not an option for us.  She started the Peg in July 2011 and is doing wonderful on it.  She has mild fatigue, a headache once in a while, irregular periods, but that is it.  She had problems with the high dose interferon, and she missed 1 week, but the peginterferon is going great.  I have read so many negative things about being sick all the time, but this is not true in her case.  She continues to go out with her friends and have a normal teenage life.  In the beginning she was scared about dying because she was doing research on the internet, but she has since stopped and is very happy, positive and determined to beat this awful disease!  

I wish you the best.

warm regards,  Tari

Hi Elisa,

My 16 year old daughter has a Stage 2C melanoma as well.  Her tumor was 7mm, ulcerated, invasive, high mitotic rate of 20.  She is a St. Jude patient and they put her on 4 weeks of high dose interferon, and another 48 weeks of peginterferon injections 1x per week.  Her options were the peg or to wait and watch, and reading how fast spreading this cancer is, waiting was not an option for us.  She started the Peg in July 2011 and is doing wonderful on it.  She has mild fatigue, a headache once in a while, irregular periods, but that is it.  She had problems with the high dose interferon, and she missed 1 week, but the peginterferon is going great.  I have read so many negative things about being sick all the time, but this is not true in her case.  She continues to go out with her friends and have a normal teenage life.  In the beginning she was scared about dying because she was doing research on the internet, but she has since stopped and is very happy, positive and determined to beat this awful disease!  

I wish you the best.

warm regards,  Tari

well, I came on here to share my daughter's story, and her experience with peginterferon.  She is doing well thank you very much, and I will continue to hope and pray.

well, I came on here to share my daughter's story, and her experience with peginterferon.  She is doing well thank you very much, and I will continue to hope and pray.

Hi Michelle,

Thank you for your kind words.  I am sad she is going through this.  She is strong and very positive.  I am so sorry that you are going through this… no one should have to, and if they do, I wish there was better medicine for melanoma.

We are very fortunate that Courtney is a St. Jude patient and we do not have any costs.  Courtney is on a 10 year clinical trial there.  If we had to pay, our insurance does not cover drugs. 

I wish you the very best with your peginterferon, and please keep us updated.

Take care,  Tari

Hi Michelle,

Thank you for your kind words.  I am sad she is going through this.  She is strong and very positive.  I am so sorry that you are going through this… no one should have to, and if they do, I wish there was better medicine for melanoma.

We are very fortunate that Courtney is a St. Jude patient and we do not have any costs.  Courtney is on a 10 year clinical trial there.  If we had to pay, our insurance does not cover drugs. 

I wish you the very best with your peginterferon, and please keep us updated.

Take care,  Tari

well my daughter's survival rate is approx 45% without the drug anyway….  she may be one of a few that peginterferon works on.  She is taking the drug well with very mild side effects.  If this drug can kill any remaining cancer in her system, then that's what she needs.  There is nothing else out there, and I will not just watch and wait… and there has not been anything else offered to us.  Everybody's body is different and I hope and pray that this will work on my daughter.  If I can get an additional 9 months of her being cancer free, I'll take it.

well my daughter's survival rate is approx 45% without the drug anyway….  she may be one of a few that peginterferon works on.  She is taking the drug well with very mild side effects.  If this drug can kill any remaining cancer in her system, then that's what she needs.  There is nothing else out there, and I will not just watch and wait… and there has not been anything else offered to us.  Everybody's body is different and I hope and pray that this will work on my daughter.  If I can get an additional 9 months of her being cancer free, I'll take it.

Anonymous,

show me where you found this information where they will not be investing in interferon. 

As of right now, there really are not any drugs that work on melanoma, so we are going to take whatever clinical trial is offered to us.  I will not just sit an wait for my daughter to pass.  That is not an option.  I will do everything I can.  Every drug works different on every person as well.

Anonymous,

show me where you found this information where they will not be investing in interferon. 

As of right now, there really are not any drugs that work on melanoma, so we are going to take whatever clinical trial is offered to us.  I will not just sit an wait for my daughter to pass.  That is not an option.  I will do everything I can.  Every drug works different on every person as well.

Thank you so much Elisa!  I wish you the very best as well.  Keep us updated.

Hugs, Tari

Thank you so much Elisa!  I wish you the very best as well.  Keep us updated.

Hugs, Tari