| Melanoma Skin Cancer |
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Hello everyone, In April of 2004, I was diagnosed with melanoma stage 3 on my left leg above the knee. I had a mole that I had watched grow over the last several years. I had my local PPE look at it, and he removed it immediately. The results came back malignant, and I was referred to M D Anderson Hospital in Houston right away. I had surgery in May 2004 to remove 1/4 inch of deep tissue and muscle where the mole was, and 4 lymph nodes in the left groin area. Recovery went great until they removed bandages from the groin area, which removed layers of skin and infection set in, and also early stages of lymphodema. Because of the tissue and muscle removed, my walking was affected and was painful. I took physical therapy after surgery, and have gone to rehab for the past 2 months to build up muscle in my left leg. I will need to exercise 3x a week to keep the muscle built up. I have learned to enjoy life more, and not take things or people for granted. I've learned to do the things I want to do, and to not put them off. I have a husband that is wonderful, a 17 year old son, and a girl poodle, who have all been greatly affected by this. My son's teacher sent me a note this week saying that he wrote an essay on what has affected him most in life. His essay was about our family's time spent at M D Anderson and the scare of melanoma. Through it all, I still have faith in God, that He will see us through each day, 1 day at a time. He has been our source of strength. It's 2007 and I'm still having a hard time walking, one day at a time. God is so FAITHFUL. I go back to Houston a lot....Note my son is now 19 and doing great, he also has to be checked for melanoma.
Cheryl |
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