Virginia Sutphin, Stage II

Diagnosed 08/09/2018

You always think this would never happen to me. When I was a teenager I knew I didn’t tan well… however, I loved being in the sun. I’m still a sun lover, however, I will now be the one in long sleeves and hats. I was diagnosed in August. The first call it didn’t hit me right away, melanoma? wait this can’t be right…Within minutes it sunk in.. I had invasive melanoma. I immediately googled it… big mistake the next few weeks I couldn’t even talk about it without breaking down. You think so much… did it spread? … will I see my son get married? … will I get to grow old with my husband? My melanoma doctor told me we needed to do a biopsy. This was my first surgery ever. Surgery went well. recovery was not the best but not the worst either. It was a long 10 days after surgery waiting for the lymph node biopsy. That cancer had not spread and I would not need any further treatment. I now am a survivor!! I have this huge scar that sometimes makes me sad,  but then I realize that’s my survivor scar!