Louanne Mitchell, Stage IV

In January 2013 I discovered a “bump” on my upper right thigh.  I asked my PC what she thought it was and she said it was a fat pocket and to leave it alone.  In April, I went to a dermatologist to have skin tags removed from my neck area and since you have to get naked anyway, I asked him what he thought about the lump on my leg.  He also didn’t seem that concerned, but suggested I have it biopsied.  I put it off and in July I slipped and fell on it.  It became red and tender, when it had never been, so I went to have it biopsied.  It came back as metastatic malignant melanoma. Needless to say, I freaked!  I didn’t feel sick, didn’t have any symptoms, etc.  The PET scan revealed it had metastasis to my right lung.  I had that removed and there was NED until this past summer when a brain MRI revealed a tumor.  I had that removed currently there is NED.  I had a clear PET scan last week and I’m having a brain MRI this afternoon and will keep you posted.  Before the brain tumor, I had finished a round of Yervoy and am now on Yervoy maintenance.  This past November I did have a setback with the Yervoy shutting down my thyroid.  I am now taking meds for that and am feeling better.