Matt's melanoma story

In late April 2005 I had a mole on my back that had been bothering me for some time. I had ignored it long enough and went in to have it removed. I didnt really expect anything because I had several small skin tags removed from my neck in 98. No big deal right? A week or so later I received a call from my dermatologist the mole was positive for melanoma cancer and I needed to see a surgical oncologist right away. Louisville as it turns out has a cancer center at U of L and Dr. McMasters is a melanoma specialist.

Learning I had cancer was very difficult for me. I lived in a state of denial for several weeks, and once it set in I became very depressed. In May I had my first surgery. A WLE (wide local excision) basically the doctors cut a 6 millimeter tumor out of my back. Then a SNB (sentinel node biopsy) procedure that pulled out four main lymph nodes under my right arm. Nuclear medicine injected into my tumor showed the path of the cancer spreading. Of four nodes removed, one was positive for melanoma. This confirmed my cancer as stage three.

A few weeks later and several trips to Louisville, I was told I needed another surgery. This time a LND (lymph node dissection) would be performed. This procedure removes all the lymph nodes in a particular area. I had been having trouble making trips to Louisville, taking time off and having someone drive me because I was to upset to drive home. So I decided if anything else would be done it would have to be done here. Luckily for me a new cancer center was being built right her in good old Owensboro.

My new surgical oncologist is Dr. Mullins who is one of the coolest people I had ever had the pleasure of knowing. He performed my LND with no complications and in the middle of two emergency surgeries from car crash survivors. He was very busy that day. Twenty-two nodes were removed and all came back clear. These results were something none of us expected. I thank god and the millions of prayers I got from my coworkers and friends in the community churches.

Now I am clear, a PET scan showed no signs disease. I have decided not to have the interferon therapy. The cost is so much and the side effects are too great to endure at this time. I would just like to continue working and enjoying life. I am also trying to change my diet and exercise habits, by actually having a diet and exercising (ha-ha). The hardest part however is quitting smoking. Sometimes I do great and sometimes I just want a cigarette. If I can make the ten year timeline with no re-occurrence I am clinically cured! This is now something I will have to keep an eye on for the rest of my life, and take special precautions but it will not beat me. I can now call myself a cancer survivor.

I am fair skinned and have reddish hair but never was overly exposed to the sun and still was caught by this beast called Melanoma. If you have moles that are discolored, raised, or have a pearl like sheen to them please have them looked into.
If you would like to know more about melanoma and its warriors please visit http://www.mpip.org/