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Survivors Corner |
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Sometimes, when we hear bad news we are overwhelmed and it is difficult to put into perspective the news you have just received. What does it mean for me? Where do I go from here? What is my prognosis?
Our goal is to provide support for patients and their families and we invite you to share your thoughts, and provide inspiration for others who are embarking on this journey.
If you would be interested in sharing your experience please feel free to contact us. We will review all submitted entries and post on the web site so that we can help others to see the ray of hope that comes from melanoma survivors, who have dealt with this disease and are living a cancer-free life.
Email: gotmail@bradsmelanomafoundation.org
One person dies every hour from Melanoma ...
Donate now and offer hope to melanoma survivors that we are united in the fight against this insidious disease that claims the lives of so many young people!
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Stories of Hope |
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I am a 5-year survivor of Stage III nodular melanoma of the scalp. My tumor was detected while was I laid up in bed following a routine hernia repair.
It had been hiding in my hair for a very long time and had progressed to a depth of 2.6mm and the size of a quarter before it was noticed. Due to the physical size of the tumor and its depth, the doctors at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center decided to take an aggressive approach to my treatment which included surgical removal, a skin graft, radiation of the site and a year-long experimental vaccine treatment called Mel-44. Due to the location of the tumor the doctors were unable to do a Sentinel Node biopsy since the lymph ducts in the scalp drain pretty much "everywhere". Not knowing whether the cancer had spread to lymph nodes was one of the more difficult things in the entire ordeal. The "unknown" can be much scarier than the "known". Regardless of possible lymph node involvement I was treated as if it had occurred. The entire treatment process was exhausting for both myself and those who happily joined me on my regular visits to MDA.
I have had no recurrence since the initial surgery but I live every day with the knowledge that the cancer could return. Knowing that has helped me to live every day to its fullest. I will also never know if the vaccine treatment was the primary influence on my outcome or if perhaps some other factor affected the outcome. In any case I am thankful for the results.
This year I was asked to be the speaker at the Luminaria service at Waco's "Relay for Life". It was an honor to speak about my cancer journey as I also attempted to educate the attendees of the importance of early detection. We can only pray that someday a cure will be found. Until then, education about the disease is paramount.
EVERYONE, PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO THOSE MOLES AND OTHER UNUSUAL SKIN CONDITIONS. Life is too precious to risk it.
Mike Makowski
Waco, TX |
 | Conquest Summer 2009
Presidential Magnitude
Making a difference in everyday lives.... By DeDe Destefano
Read Audi's wonderful story on page 12 of the Summer 2009 Conquest magazine which provides us with hope that we can look forward to a future without Melanoma.
Reproduced by permission from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center © Summer Conquest 2009
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