Melanoma and the City

Hello folks!  So some know, others don’t, but lots of changes going on here these days! I decided after 9 years to pack up in NYC area and move south!  Stay tuned as the adventure begins.  I know what you’re all thinking, how can a melanoma survivor pick to live at the beach?  Well, it’s all about sun safety. Ok, 9 years ago when I was diagnosed, I was terrified of being exposed. But over time, we heal and we learn to adapt!

“I believe in the ocean curing all bad moods.

I believe in the waves wiping away worries.

I believe in seashells bringing good luck.

I believe in toes in the sand grounding my soul.”

Ok, so I’m terrible about updating things here.  The good news, still here!  Had 6 month scans a few weeks back.  Still nothing new and nothing growing!  Was reminded (thanks Facebook memories) that 7 years ago today was when I found out Melanoma had spread to my small intestine.  My hemoglobin has dropped to 5.6 (which is basically 1/2 what it should normally be). I look back to the weeks leading up to that and wonder why I didn’t go in to the doctor sooner vs waiting for my scans.  

Anyway, I share this as a reminder to wear your sunscreen, see your dermatologist yearly, and stay out of tanning beds.  

Sunscreen - every single day! A product from supergoop!  I do use this every day! (https://supergoop.com/products/superscreen-daily-moisturizer) 

When you can’t sleep because you’re beyond exhausted, might as well give some updates!  Health wise all is good.  I remembered earlier today that this time 6 years ago I was lying in a hospital bed at Sloan Kettering getting 3 pints of blood.  I had scans 5/18/12 and was in a few days later for results.  I knew they weren’t going to be good. I felt terrible.  I remember catching a glimpse of myself in a window and thinking I looked terrible.  My eyes were kind of sunken in with dark circles around. Every time I’d stand up I thought I was going to black out.  I’d find out it was because my hemoglobin has dropped so low and the tumor I’d find out was in my small intestine.  

“We dance for laughter, we dance for tears, we dance for madness, we dance for fears, we dance for hopes, we dance for screams, we are the dancers, we create the dreams.” ~ Albert Einstein 

Sometimes I feel like time just keeps speeding up! A memory from today was from my VAT’s surgery done March 1, 2011.  

This was done to take 2 wedge dissections of my left lung to find out if melanoma had moved on to my lungs.  Only a short few months after my initial diagnosis of melanoma.  November 2010, after several testing I had been given a stage 3 diagnosis.  I remember sitting with a medical oncologist at UNC-Chapel Hill who said they had very little to treat stage 3, and within 2 years she almost guaranteed I’d advance to stage 4 and then they and nothing to help me.  

Well, she was right. It didn’t even take 2 years to advance. When trying to get in to a clinical trial at Sloan, my CT scan showed possible lung tumors:

A few weeks later I’d have the VAT’s procedure that would confirm the worst - Stage 4. 

Now after consulting Dr Google - it would tell you that stage 4 patients had a 50% chance of surviving 1 year and a 10% chance of 5 year survival.  Luckily some new drug treatments came along while going thru all this.  7 years later still here.  With 5 or so years with nothing new or growing.  I still go in for very frequent check ups. Because cancer is a sneaky beast! 

Protect the skin you’re in!  

Cheers!

Erin

Hello folks!  I arrived safely in Seoul Friday the 9th.  Exhausted and excited after a 14+ hr plane ride in the middle seat.  Ugh...  

The traveling crew!

Lunch is served!  

Proud to wear our team USA gear!


Dinner is served!  Just a little BBQ

On to Sunday!  The 1st event is the day was canceled due to extreme cold weather and high winds.  We did make it to watch women’s moguls.  Cold but fun!  

A few years ago some good friends and I decided we should attend the summer Olympics in London!  That trip, I suppose, created a need for us to then experience the winter games in Russia in 2014!  While at those games, we got the great idea that we should attend the 2018 games in South Korea!  The games are so much fun to attend and cheer at and bonus - we get to cross another country off the list of visiting.