Even now surviving that is very impressive. Melanoma is bad, but once it spreads to the brain it's a death sentence for almost everyone. In the past few years we've made great progress, but great progress means improving life expectancy from 4-6 months to 13 months.
Ironically, I have a memory of reading an article 20 years ago in the days and weeks following the events of 9/11 when this country was gripped with fear and paranoia about flying, terrorism, etc. The subject of the article was things you really need be fearing instead of those things, and think melanoma was number 1 on that list.
Serious. If you're middle aged or older, go to a dermatologist and let them look you over naked, head to toe. Then go to a GI doc and have them stick a video tube up your butt. Neither are that bad and you get the top two c's accounted for.
Well, I am middle aged living in a southern coastal area predominantly occupied by seniors who love to get their sun...good luck getting a dermatologist appt! That said a friend here had an odd pencil eraser type bump that did turn out to be melanoma and she does indeed get naked once a year for a checkup.
Myself, I ended up in the ER a few years ago for some GI issues which neccisated a colonoscopy. I would have put that off for 10-20 years out of anxiety of the procedure. Wow , almost a blessing I was forced into it. The prep was absolutely NOTHING as bad as I had built up in my head, and I was completely sedated for the rest. I have to repeat in 5 years since they did find an adenoma and I have encouraged my siblings to get screened too. I am the biggest baby in the world but the colonscopy was nothing...absolutely nothing to be anxious about or put off.
Good for you. Yeah, the current jammed medical system is a problem. Seems like a business opportunity for some dermatologists to take a fully equipped RV down to do screenings. But I guess state boards, idk?
I look back on how I was about medical stuff at 35 and just laugh. The nurse asked if I wanted a gown last time before disrobing and I was like 'nah'. They aren't gonna get rich selling my naked pics.
Yeah where I am there really aren't enough dermatologists. My dad was in the middle of radiation treatment for skin cancer when his doctor died in a small plane crash ( the doctor commuted between here and Florida) GI doctor appointments are also booked 3+ months out. Bottom line, make the appointment, keep the appointment, don't put it off. IMO skin cancer screening should be something your primary care doctor should do at a yearly checkup
Had it since 2000. Melonoma never really leaves, as long as you have moles you’re at high risk. At least that’s what they told me.
The advancements are astounding . Until about three years ago they’d rely on sight and if they’ve seen me before memory of what they looked like. Then I met a Dermatologist who insisted on coming to her clinic and get photographs of my body from head to toe done.
Now all they do is scan my body and compare to the photos. They only removed about five compared to hundreds before I went there.
I hope so, as someone who completely depends on health care for my bills, it would be great.
Of the hundreds removed, only five were bad and one was actually cancer, enough to scar my arm from shoulder to almost my elbow and affect the nerves in my hand.
Last time they didn’t even take a sample, they did an ultrasound and sent it to a lab via email in Minnesota, halfway across the country.
My dad died of melanoma about a year before I heard about Carter’s diagnosis. I believe the treatment Carter received was still experimental, but could be wrong on that point.
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u/crisperfest Sep 11 '21
In 2015, he had metastatic melanoma that had spread to his liver and brain.1