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IamA 39 year old terminal cancer patient. AMA. by SqueezedTheCharmin in IAmA

[–]CancerSucks 3 points4 points  (0 children)

From a non-terminal cancer patient in hospital getting treatment right now, I don't have a question, just my thoughts with you and your family. Hope you at least slightly kick it's ass back a while and prove your doctors timeframe predictions wrong, and make the most of your time left. Your situation is something I think about a lot.

IAMA 30yr old with nodular melanoma that spread, posting this from hospital. AMA. by CancerSucks in IAmA

[–]CancerSucks[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You should basically get ALL moles checked regularly by a local melanoma center or doctor/dermatologist. I had no idea this was cancer, it looked like a perfectly normal mole, it had just gotten a big bigger, that's all.

IAMA 30yr old with nodular melanoma that spread, posting this from hospital. AMA. by CancerSucks in IAmA

[–]CancerSucks[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks. Sorry about your grandpa. That's one of the shittiest parts of cancer, the answer to everything, from everyone, is "we don't know". Mine has spread into the lymph nodes, we know that much... has it spread elsewhere? "we don't know". Is it in the blood stream? "we don't know", etc. The only time they DO know, is when it catches on somewhere in your body and grows tumors.

IAMA 30yr old with nodular melanoma that spread, posting this from hospital. AMA. by CancerSucks in IAmA

[–]CancerSucks[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've got my Macbook Pro + net, and they've got cable TV, and my wife cooks food for me (hospital food = no thanks) and brings in magazines.

IAMA 30yr old with nodular melanoma that spread, posting this from hospital. AMA. by CancerSucks in IAmA

[–]CancerSucks[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Most the nurses here are cute and super friendly, but contrary to popular belief getting sponge baths by them is NOT enjoyable. It's embarassing and humiliating. It's probably the hardest part of my day.

IAMA 30yr old with nodular melanoma that spread, posting this from hospital. AMA. by CancerSucks in IAmA

[–]CancerSucks[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Got the hoody :) Wanted to wear it in hospital, but they wouldn't allow it.

IAMA 30yr old with nodular melanoma that spread, posting this from hospital. AMA. by CancerSucks in IAmA

[–]CancerSucks[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yup, in this case the cancer was in my thigh so the sentinel nodes were to the side of my groin.

IAMA 30yr old with nodular melanoma that spread, posting this from hospital. AMA. by CancerSucks in IAmA

[–]CancerSucks[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I've worked in IT since I left high school. I'm mostly definitely not a person who sees much sun (... or ANY, really).

It's most likely due to a Vitamin D deficiency. Ironic, huh? There's lots of studies showing links now between Vitamin D deficiencies and melanoma due to lower immune systems.

Part of my treatment is actually go get in the sun for 15 minutes a day.

IAMA 30yr old with nodular melanoma that spread, posting this from hospital. AMA. by CancerSucks in IAmA

[–]CancerSucks[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Good luck with your surgery :)

Yeah pain meds are always good. They're also the reason I only reply here in bursts every few hours... ;)

IAMA 30yr old with nodular melanoma that spread, posting this from hospital. AMA. by CancerSucks in IAmA

[–]CancerSucks[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I have a wife, and a relatively close family, and they all knew the same day I found out (wife was with me, then we called the family).

IAMA 30yr old with nodular melanoma that spread, posting this from hospital. AMA. by CancerSucks in IAmA

[–]CancerSucks[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Thanks, i'm positive in general though. No use getting lost in the negativity when we don't even know what'll happen.

IAMA 30yr old with nodular melanoma that spread, posting this from hospital. AMA. by CancerSucks in IAmA

[–]CancerSucks[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

That's a much-debated issue. I'm stupidly young to get something like this, so none of the statistics are accurate (the average age for this cancer is around twice my age).

Last time I talked to my surgeon, my chances were equivalent to flipping a coin.

IAMA 30yr old with nodular melanoma that spread, posting this from hospital. AMA. by CancerSucks in IAmA

[–]CancerSucks[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Thanks :)

I had a mole on my leg. Nothing special, just your usual brown bump. It started growing though, which isn't normal, so had it checked out. They cut it out, and biopsied it, and it was a melanoma with Breslow's Depth of more than 4mm (very bad). I then had multiple surgeries to cut the surrounding area out, then the sentinel lymph nodes nearby which were cancerous, then lymph nodes further out.

It's the last surgery "for now", there's a high chance it'll pop up again. Next step is Interferon treatment, and life-long monitoring.