.January of 2020 was the beginning of a season for me
One day I noticed a round blotchy spot on the right side of my upper chest. An area the size of a quarter and round. The outer edge had a brown spot . It wasn’t overly concerning. A few days later the spot went from brown to red and raised. The area didn’t itch, no discomfort. I did notice when the redness appeared. changes were happening more rapidly. When I contacted my dermatologist he saw me right away. I had the photos of each stage of change, to show him. I appreciated that he listened to me, this did not look like your typical melanoma. Once in my career I had removed a lesion very similar and the pathology came back as amelanotic melanoma.
Melanoma, No Two Look Alike
This type of melanoma is rapid growing. It can be deadly in short amount of time, if not treated. As the patient, I wanted to get all the information I could. I found an article written and published by a physician in California. It spoke of how often this type of melanoma is missed. I called the author. The article identified the location of her clinic,; I found the phone number and called on a Saturday. The answering service for her clinic took my message. I did not expect any response, she practiced at a very large medical university & she didn’t know me. Well, within a few hours the physician responded and answered my questions.
The day the lesion was originally evaluated I had surgery. The lesion was removed and margins were clear of melanoma. They got it all. I did not have to have any further treatment. I was very blessed that we caught it so early. To make sure I didn’t have cancer anywhere else. I had a PETSCAN and other imaging.
More?
Ironically enough, with the Petscan, they found my thyroid cancer and cysts in my lungs. A referral was sent to an ENT surgeon, who then ordered biopsies. The nodules were on both sides of the thyroid. When both sides of the thyroid are cancerous, typically one side is the primary and the other is secondary. In this case each side was a primary cancer. The surgery to remove the thyroid was done but the cancer had already spread; it is referred to as “microscopic vascular invasion”. This means there was no additional tumor to remove but cancer was there microscopically and could go anywhere.
The cysts in my lungs, found on the PETSCAN were very unusual. I was referred to a pulmonologist to address what ended up being a rare disease. This was all in a matter of months from when I had the lesion removed from my chest. It was recommended I have genetic testing and that was full of surprises. My first article on this BLOG is about BRCA1 and CFTR. Mutations that are associated with breast cancer, ovarian cancer, melanoma & pancreas disease/cancer. The mutations are not associated with thyroid cancer.
Time Heals
All of these medical findings and surgeries were addressed in the year 2020 and into 2021. After the initial shock, I just lifted my hands up and said, “I am in your hands God”. I truly didn’t worry and after each surgery I was back to work, as soon as possible. 2022 has been a much better year. Even though I do have ultrasounds, labs, skin checks, among other surveillance tests, every 6 months, I count myself very fortunate. Because I did not require to any radiation or chemo therapy. I am happy and active. Each day is a gift and I have a lot of adventures
Important Message
If you get one thing out of this article my hope is it will be to listen to your body, trust your gut and make sure you catch things early. Remember when you seek medical advice/evaluation, you are the customer and you are paying a knowledgeable professional to serve you. They should listen to you. Be your own advocate and do not let anyone dismiss what your feeling. It may not be cancer or something that needs a medical intervention but it does deserve answers. You have a voice & it should be heard.
