I have been launched into a terrifying and intense journey and feel ready to share. 10 years ago, I noticed a dark and suspicious mole, on my calf. I went to my dermatologist where they removed it tested it, and found it to be melanoma. They quickly removed it and believed we caught it in time, before it had spread. I have continued to go for a yearly checkup. This June, I felt a lump in the lymph node area, of that same leg. I got in to see the doctor ASAP and a biopsy confirmed it was melanoma, stage 3c. My life became an instant battlefield of fighting against one of the deadliest cancers. I have had immunotherapy transfusions, at Huntsman Cancer institute, on August 15th and September 1st. I will have another transfusion on the 26th and surgery to remove all the lymph nodes in my leg/groin area, on October 17th. After I am recovered from surgery, the transfusions will resume every 6 weeks, for a year. The medication is called Keytruda. It teaches the immune system to recognize cancer cells and destroy them. This is a breakthrough treatment for melanoma. This particular version of skin cancer spreads through the body, unlike other skin cancers which spread mainly in the skin. It does not respond to radiation or chemotherapy. My team of doctors, nurses, surgeons, and pharmacists have been wonderful to work with. I have felt the UNDENIABLE POWER OF PRAYER as I have tried to function through my days. The ABSOLUTE TERROR of facing the possibility of leaving my family this soon, was debilitating. I have never felt something so completely unbearable. I have had many friends and family praying for me and have found acceptance, and even comfort. This could only be possible through a higher power than myself. P.S. Make an appointment at your dermatologist and get checked every few years. The mountain west has a higher concentration of skin cancer since we have a high percentage of fair skinned people living at a high elevation.
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