General Medical issues thread

[scubabe]

Hi all,

I was very kindly given a nudge in the direction of this thread, and wanted to stick my head in to say hi.

My fiance has just been diagnosed with melanoma III, so we're facing a bit of a health battle at the moment. He's had the initial biopsy done, and he's facing a big operation tomorrow.

We promised each other we wouldn't Google anything, we would wait for the doctors to come back with his actual pathology results and his actual staging numbers and his future treatment plan before we hit the big red panic button.

The waiting is so hard. But this time tomorrow he'll be on the table, and maybe by the end of the week we might know more about what we're up against.

Stupid cancer.

 

[Pushka]

Hi all,

I was very kindly given a nudge in the direction of this thread, and wanted to stick my head in to say hi.

My fiance has just been diagnosed with melanoma III, so we're facing a bit of a health battle at the moment. He's had the initial biopsy done, and he's facing a big operation tomorrow.

We promised each other we wouldn't Google anything, we would wait for the doctors to come back with his actual pathology results and his actual staging numbers and his future treatment plan before we hit the big red panic button.

The waiting is so hard. But this time tomorrow he'll be on the table, and maybe by the end of the week we might know more about what we're up against.

Stupid cancer.

We will all be thinking of you. Please let us know how he and you are doing. The medical field makes progress with treating cancer every single day so keep your hope.

 

[rogerkambah]

Hi all,

I was very kindly given a nudge in the direction of this thread, and wanted to stick my head in to say hi.

My fiance has just been diagnosed with melanoma III, so we're facing a bit of a health battle at the moment. He's had the initial biopsy done, and he's facing a big operation tomorrow.

We promised each other we wouldn't Google anything, we would wait for the doctors to come back with his actual pathology results and his actual staging numbers and his future treatment plan before we hit the big red panic button.

The waiting is so hard. But this time tomorrow he'll be on the table, and maybe by the end of the week we might know more about what we're up against.

Stupid cancer.

Thinking of you both and hoping for the best possible outcome following surgery and pathology of the tumour.
Waiting is a problem as we want to know that the treatment is working, but sometimes improvements take a while to show. Just have to hang in there, knowing that your oncologist will have seen and treated someone else with your fiance's condition.

 

[love_the_life]

Hi all,

I was very kindly given a nudge in the direction of this thread, and wanted to stick my head in to say hi.

My fiance has just been diagnosed with melanoma III, so we're facing a bit of a health battle at the moment. He's had the initial biopsy done, and he's facing a big operation tomorrow.

We promised each other we wouldn't Google anything, we would wait for the doctors to come back with his actual pathology results and his actual staging numbers and his future treatment plan before we hit the big red panic button.

The waiting is so hard. But this time tomorrow he'll be on the table, and maybe by the end of the week we might know more about what we're up against.

Stupid cancer.

Oh scubabe I really feel for you (and your fiancé). Hoping all goes well tomorrow.

 

[Flashback]

Travel related in that a lot of us have been or will be going to Rottnest island... interesting how the Quokka has been involved in creating a drug to help with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Meet WA's homegrown selfie star the Rottnest quokka | RAC WA

 

[Flying mermaid]

FM that is a very hard one.But be assured methotrexate is one of the recommended treatments for scleroderma and when you take that you should also have folate as well.You also said she is under a Sydney guru who certainly has prescribed recommended therapy so you should need to stress.But that is easy to say but hard to do.
If the stress levels continue to be high then you should admit to what you have done and the circumstances.From your posts in the past I would think any upset on her part will settle very quickly.

.

Oh. Now there’s a conundrum.

If her intent is to maintain her own privacy about her health then say nothing.

If her intent is to prevent you worrying then that’s long gone so I’d mention it. If her intent is also to assert her rights to make her own health decisions without you attempting to dissuade her then it’s a matter of you knowing but not trying to dissuade her.

Chances are she will know you’ve found out anyway.

My 32 year old niece is doing really well on methotrexate but it doesn’t appear to be preventing other issues occurring. It is helping with issues already present. But she’s now got the same blood clotting issue that I have. Confirmed by a second test this week.

well I fessed up and it was all good - she knows I wouldn’t deliberately pry. She just felt at the time she went to see the doctor in Sydney I was very stressed about it all and I had just starting having issues with high blood pressure, so she didn’t want me worrying.

She sees him once a year and I am happy with that, as he is really across scleroderma - Dr FM recommended him. Anyway we had a long chat about it all and about her current treatment (which includes immunoglobulin) and I feel much better (although would rather she didn’t have any ongoing issues). Sorry to hear hear about your niece Pushka.

 

[k_sheep]

Stupid cancer.

The best advice I can give is don't stress out too much yet, get all your information first.

I've had 3 big skin excisions at work for melanoma in the last fortnight - and 2 of them ended up not being melanoma at all! It's very hard to distinguish melanoma from other similar (non-cancerous) lesions on small biopsies. Being risk-averse it's safer if it's not totally straightforward for the pathologist to call it melanoma - which means it will definitely get cut out (which is what it needs).

I absolutely don't want to give you false hope - it's more likely it is melanoma sadly (my fortnight has just been a statistical anomaly! but I love those weeks) but don't stress about the unknown just yet. Let the doctors do their work.

*hugs*

 

[scubabe]

it's more likely it is melanoma

It is absolutely melanoma without a doubt. Level 3. We’ve already seen the oncologist. He’s having a major operation today to begin his cancer treatment. We’re just not sure yet how far into the lymphatic system it has spread.

 

[cove]

In the US one of my business colleagues has been using specially designed gene therapy to go from stage IV back to stage I and has been fighting melanoma for almost 6 years. There are developments in this area.

 

[scubabe]

In the US one of my business colleagues has been using specially designed gene therapy to go from stage IV back to stage I and has been fighting melanoma for almost 6 years. There are developments in this area.

Yes, the consultant we saw a few weeks ago said that there are some trials that Mr Scubabe might be eligible for, depending on the results of today’s pathology.

It’s all super interesting, and love how many advancements they’re making every day in treating all kinds of cancers. I’m a breast cancer survivor myself so we’re looking forward to him getting the NED diagnosis in the future

Right now I’m sitting across from him in the CT and watching all the “radioactive spider venom” they just injected him with wandering about on his back and working its way into his lymphatic system. So cool to see technology in action!

 

[QF WP]

Hi all,

I was very kindly given a nudge in the direction of this thread, and wanted to stick my head in to say hi.

My fiance has just been diagnosed with melanoma III, so we're facing a bit of a health battle at the moment. He's had the initial biopsy done, and he's facing a big operation tomorrow.

We promised each other we wouldn't Google anything, we would wait for the doctors to come back with his actual pathology results and his actual staging numbers and his future treatment plan before we hit the big red panic button.

The waiting is so hard. But this time tomorrow he'll be on the table, and maybe by the end of the week we might know more about what we're up against.

Stupid cancer.

@scubabe, I had a malignant spreading invasive melanoma in 2000 and I’m still here. True it was only Clarke Level 3 but enough to give me a good scare.

The staging will be an imperative. Try hard not to let it take over your life - I did for 24 hours until I realized that I was in the hands of my GP, Plastic Surgeon and all the tests in the world (PET scans etc). My initial excision was 1cm x 1cm x 0.4cm deep. My re-excision surgery done by the plastic surgeon was 4cm x 11cm x 1cm deep. The pathology on both indicated the margins were clear.

Let them inform you and then you need to ask questions and do research. I am a member of a cancer support group on Facebook and the vast amount of knowledge there is truly astounding. Most are patients, carers or family posting questions.

Panicking will depress your ability to function and process the important information you need to receive. There are knowledgeable doctors (GP’s, Physicians etc) on this thread who are more than willing to share general information.

There’s also a Cancer Survivor thread here on AFF.

We’re here, ready to listen. When you and your fiancé are ready.

 

[QF WP]

Yes, the consultant we saw a few weeks ago said that there are some trials that Mr Scubabe might be eligible for, depending on the results of today’s pathology.

Hopefully Keytruda. I told my Uber driver who wife is in the middle of a course of chemo for Stage IV breaststroke cancer about it today. It seems to have some very promising results and I think has just made it into the PBS.

It’s all super interesting, and love how many advancements they’re making every day in treating all kinds of cancers. I’m a breast cancer survivor myself so we’re looking forward to him getting the NED diagnosis in the future

Right now I’m sitting across from him in the CT and watching all the “radioactive spider venom” they just injected him with wandering about on his back and working its way into his lymphatic system. So cool to see technology in action!

Sounds like my PET scan - but I had to sit in the dark until it did the rounds of my body.

 

[cove]

One of my business colleagues has an oncologist partner who is doing scientific work thru Duke University and is working on treatment options for melanomas. There is progress being made.

 

[love_the_life]

Good news for once. My SIL has had her hip replacement brought forward to tomorrow (originally 21 Dec) so she is really pleased. It has been so bad she has been unable to sleep properly for months but they insisted on her knee replacement in July before they’d do the hip. She’s had a bad trot over the past 7 years or so; daughter died suddenly, breast cancer, melanoma of the eye, so hopefully things will go right for her. She deserves it.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Anyone know anything about Immunoglobulin therapy, in particular with connection to auto immune diseases?

 

[k_sheep]

Anyone know anything about Immunoglobulin therapy, in particular with connection to auto immune diseases?

A bit. Anything in particular you want to know?

It's one of those treatments that they will "give it a go and see" if it helps. The immunoglobulin is derived from blood donors so there are some risks. Autoimmune diseases are so varied there is no one-size-fits-all treatment (as many on here will attest to!). Some even get worse on IVIg treatment

 

[cove]

Just had the final second shingles shot which was 6 months apart. We each paid a total of $340 USD at our Ralph’s Supermarket pharmac_. I have been told this new treatment is rated as 99% effective.
My mother got shingles and it was pretty tough as she ended up with nerve ending pain.

 

[Flying mermaid]

A bit. Anything in particular you want to know?

It's one of those treatments that they will "give it a go and see" if it helps. The immunoglobulin is derived from blood donors so there are some risks. Autoimmune diseases are so varied there is no one-size-fits-all treatment (as many on here will attest to!). Some even get worse on IVIg treatment

the particular combination is localised scleroderma + myositis. I was wondering whether immunoglobulin will actually put the person into remission (i.e. stop the myositis), or whether it’s just a treatment that stops the damage but needs to be ongoing.

 

[JohnK]

Sorry to hear some of the issues in this thread. Makes my left hip/leg/knee issues pale into in significance.

Time to get it checked out though. Pain down the leg in various areas including hip/top of leg, knee and now pain radiating down to shin and that can hurt the most. Not sure how to describe the pain but pain feels "electrical" which could be nerve pain. Had issues in Thailand and couldn't move after golf today.

 

[love_the_life]

SIL has had hip replacement and is faring pretty well apparently. She rang my mother this morning and was quite chirpy (though bet the pain relief is still pumping through her).