| "When I saw my Oncologist not too long ago, I told him | | | | intolerable 6-months previous), I had lucked out and |
| "I feel like a low-flying albatross is circling over my | | | | finally was referred to an aggressive surgeon who |
| head." | | | | wasted no time in treatment. |
| I was diagnosed with Stage IV advanced Malignant | | | | February, March and April encompassed three |
| Melanoma that was predicted to take my life by | | | | separate surgeries. By June, I had felt like a different |
| September this year -- upon diagnosis back in | | | | person. After you're sick for so long and then you feel |
| February. | | | | like a person you'd almost forgot, it's an incredible |
| The problem with cancer is that unlike other diseases, | | | | feeling. |
| you're not likely to feel pain until after the cancer has | | | | Sadly, that was short lived. By September, I noticed the |
| grown to a point where, if malignant, might be too | | | | weight I had gained back was beginning to drop, my |
| advanced and decrease your chance of survival. | | | | energy level had waned and I feel pain constantly |
| Worse yet, at least in my case, their seemed to be a | | | | within my shoulder -- approximately 15 lymph nodes |
| mass exodus of friends and support as soon as I | | | | were removed along with the tumor. |
| started looking sick. For almost a year, while trying to | | | | I was scheduled for the all the periodic Pet scans, CTs, |
| find a surgeon who would remove a tumor on my | | | | MRIs a few months ago, but decided not to have it |
| shoulder that had now grown upward to over 5 cm. It | | | | done. "If something is found, most likely it means more |
| was constantly bleeding and the fluid it produced was | | | | surgery and this time it's likely to be in a less |
| also effecting other areas of my body via the | | | | convenient area than before." Moreover, it also means |
| subcutaneous layer of the skin. | | | | that it had definitely metastasized and the likely-hood |
| At times, it felt like razor blades were slicing my veins | | | | of survival was moot. |
| in both arms." | | | | This 'head-in-the-sand' attitude is extremely dumb on |
| I believe, in hindsight, that had it not been for the fact | | | | my part; however, unless you have cancer, you |
| that I simply didn't have the resources, I would have | | | | wouldn't understand. |
| taken my life. | | | | On a positive note, I'm working hard to regain my 'Pink |
| Finally, in February this year (the cancer became | | | | Bubble', if just for a while. |