My melanoma nightmare update.

[fightforfreedom]

Today I get the results of the biopsy, wish me luck. My insurance company denied the pet scan my surgeon requested. I just received a letter from my insurance company, the pet scan is now approved. Go figure.

If you are unlucky and are told you have melanoma, pray you get it somewhere on your body, not on your face. They had to cut my face wide open and it has been hell to eat, sleep, walk, having trouble with my vision because of the swelling. Pray you get a warning sign so it's caught early. I got no warning, my skin looked normal.

[SheltieLover]

1. Fingers crossed!

🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞

Fking ins co!

[Ilsa]

2. Hoping for the best outcome for you!

🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞

[abqtommy]

3. I'm wishing you the best possible outcome. Some years ago I had a melanoma removed

from the left side of my face, just below my left eye and close to my nose. It was a
traumatic experience for me but the doctor got it all and it hasn't recurred. My Mom
experienced a benign growth in the same area long before my experience. It's good to
pay attention. Many members of my family experience 'bad' skin with blemishes and
infections. Survival is good.

[Walleye]

4. Good luck! Hardly anything more stressful than waiting for the results of a biopsy

[brer cat]

5. I hope it is good news!!

[Pachamama]

6. Stage 3 Survivor - 14 years later

I am hoping you get good news. I am so sorry for what is happening to you and your awful experience made so much worse by how the insurance is handling this.

I was fortunate on all fronts. I had it on my lower leg (I am female and over 75% of melanoma in women is on our lower legs whereas men primarily on torso and upper body). I was also in the SF Bay Area and outside of Australia they have some of the top doctors treating Melanoma and research. I was able to have surgery and immunotherapy and all available care through a great PPO insurance at the time.

Do not give up - fight like hell against the insurance company and do all you can to beat this with your doctor. Sending you lots of good thoughts and that the insurance coverage is provided for all needed treatment. Stay strong.

[cate94]

7. Wishing you the best

Sorry for what you are going through.

[70sEraVet]

8. In the VERY near future, we may have a tool to detect most types of cancers with a blood draw

MENLO PARK, Calif., February 2, 2022 – “We applaud President Biden for reigniting the Cancer Moonshot and highlighting the critical role of early detection in achieving the ambitious, but attainable, goal of reducing the cancer death rate by at least 50 percent in the next 25 years. Improving quality of life for patients and survivors, while addressing inequities in access to cancer screening, diagnostics and treatment is a critical part of the plan. Importantly, the President’s plan recognizes that the rigorous study of multi-cancer detection blood tests, to date, has brought us to a crucial inflection point where detecting many cancers at once is now an essential pillar of any effort to end cancer as we know it today.”

“In partnership with preeminent cancer institutions across the country, we validated the science behind our MCED technology and, in 2021, introduced Galleri® as a prescription only test for adults with an elevated risk of cancer, including those age 50 and older. As a result, today, we can detect more than 50 types of cancer, including in early stages, using a simple blood draw, vastly expanding the benefits of screening to more cancers and more people. We look forward to continuing our evidence generation with scientific and clinical partners and engaging with policymakers and the cancer stakeholder community so that more Americans can benefit from this paradigm shift in early cancer detection.”

https://grail.com/press-releases/grail-statement-on-president-bidens-bold-initiative-to-reignite-the-cancer-moonshot/

[niyad]

22. Thank you for posting this. Would you consider posting as its own OP

for greater visibility?

[70sEraVet]

23. I will, thanks.

I'll post it under a 'Health' heading.

[niyad]

24. Excellent!

[Pepsidog]

28. Wow great post. I didn't know about this test.

[ramen]

9. Wishing for the best outcome for you.

Good luck today.

[spanone]

10. Hope it's all good news.

[spooky3]

11. Thanks for updating us. Your DU family is with you! Nt

[XanaDUer2]

12. good luck! Nt

[MLAA]

13. Thinking of you! ❤️

[woodsprite]

14. Sending healing, positive thoughts your way!

And prayers of strength and perseverance to get through this and deal with the insurance company. Having to deal with insurance companies while battling cancer adds insult to injury. I'm waging my own battle re: PET scans. Here's to us both that we win our battles

[dixiechiken1]

15. Wishing you only good news today!

[area51]

16. I wish you the best of luck

I hope we can get the insurance cos. out of healthcare.

[bluestarone]

17. Hoping you get good news

[calimary]

18. Visualizing bright green for you. Green - for healing and renewal.

It’s not the color of Spring for nothing!

I hope the results are all favorable.

[Karadeniz]

19. Hoping you ace your test!!!

[Cryptoad]

20. Chemo or not

at age 73,,,,, that my decision to make soon,,,,, at 53 there would be no question as to my answer,,,,,,,,Is dying a little sooner worth some more quailty time with the Grands..........?

[niyad]

21. Sending hugs and vibes for best possible outcome.

[onecaliberal]

25. Hugs.

Sending healing peaceful vibes.

[Pepsidog]

26. Like your screen name says, "fight". Wishing you good news.

[rainin]

27. Your skin looked normal? That's chilling. How did you discover it?

My father had multiple melanomas in his later years and as I get closer to the age he passed, I'm increasingly worried about hidden cancers. Would you share how you found it?

I wish you a full recovery and I hope you get relief from the surgical pain quickly.

[fightforfreedom]

29. I had a small cyst removed (not related to the melanoma) from my upper cheek.

The cyst was tested and it came back normal. About a month later a small bump appeared under the incision. It was scar tissue. They removed and tested the scar tissue and it came back aggressive melanoma. There is a chance that small cyst may have saved my life.

[EndlessWire]

30. Never quit. n/t

[AmBlue]

31. Hoping for good news for you

I know this stress too well as my brother had melanoma. I am thinking of you and hoping for all good news.