Living with Skin Cancer

I’m a 57 year old High School Principal. In April 2005 my wife and I went to see her mother about 1100 miles from home. On the way I felt a bump on the right side of my head. It felt like a wart. When we returned I went to the clinic and they removed it and sent it in. It was a Nodular Melanoma Clark Stage IV.

Was sent to a surgeon who ordered a sentinel node. Two lymph nodes were positive. Did resection and skin graph and all material clean. Did a radical and removed 64 more lymph nodes and all were clean. Full body PET scan was also clear.

DID Interferon drip every day for 4 weeks. Gave myself high dose shots on MWF for 44 weeks when another Stage IV appeared on the left side on my head in May of 06. They had me quit Interferon and did another resection all clear. Had two more PET scans and all clear. Interferon is tough.

Went on a study giving myself Lukine shots everyday for 14 days and off 14 days. PET scan every 3 months. Always clear. March of 07 a knot under the skin on the left side of neck appeared. PET scans were clear nobody concerned. Took an antibiotic and 4 days later knot above small knot was the size of golfball and sore. Needle biopsy indicated Nodular Melanoma in lymph node. Did radical on left side all other lymph nodes clear. Off study.

May of 07 removed small mole on right side of back. Biopsy positive for NM. Did resection on back. PET scan clear.

Oct. of 07 felt like new pimple on left side of head. Biopsy was NM Clark Stage IV. PET scan clear. Dermotologist didn’t like the tecture of small brown mole on back of head. Biopsy, matastic NM. Biopsy came today and I’m already scheduled to do resection on the other tomorrow. You guessed it, we’re doing both tomorrow. Have to find out what’s in store after that. I’m a fighter and I have faith. I’ll do what ever they tell me to do.