| My story isn't much different from anyone else's in the fact that we all have cancer. I think Melanoma has a higher invasive rate though. I first felt a lump on my inner labia about 3 years ago. I put up with it for a long time thinking it would go away. When the itch became unbearable, I went to the Dr. and was told it was probably an infected sweat gland and not to worry. 6 months or so passed and I went again for another reason and they looked at it again and then decided to send me to a Gynecologist for a colposcopy. Time passed and it was done. I was given some Cortisone cream to help with the itching. (Steroids are a no-no with Melanoma) The growth continued to get worse and I was going mad with the itching, so I went back again. This time she wanted to do a biopsy and so I went to out-patients and had a general anesthetic. (She said she would never subject a woman to a local in that area) This biopsy came back as a common compound nevus and so I was very relieved. But, the itching came back and even worse, so back I went again, 6 weeks later for removal of the whole lump. ( another general anesthetic!) This time after a very long wait for results, I was told it was a Melanoma 2.9mm >deep and was staged at Stage 2 and didn't have clear margins. So I was sent to the Cancer Clinic at the Hospital to see a Surgeon and Melanoma specialist. I was then told that I needed a radical vulvectomy and was booked for another surgery in 2 weeks. (This one was canceled after I was all doped up andintravenous started because of an emergency that was going to take 7 hoursto deal with) I was given the choice of waiting but decided I didn't want a surgeon who had already been in the OR for about 12 hours by then!!) So two weeks later I go through all the anxiety again and had the final surgery. I lost the inner labia and clitoris, but the margins came back clear!!! So then I started on a preventative chemo pill that made me so ill I couldn't function. I tried to take it 4 times and just couldn't deal with the side effects. So we all decided that quality of life was important too and since I would have to be on this med for 3 years, I decided not to continue it. Now am on a 3 month wait and see routine. I have just made it past the 1 year mark cancer free!! I feel fine, but know that the risk of it reoccurring somewhere else is very high. The best thing about the surgery is not having the terrible itch anymore. So last spring and summer were a dead loss to me.I had stitches constantly for about 6 months it seems. For all the newbies who don't know, I lost a son to cancer almost 6 years ago so am very familiar with it. On a positive note, I am about to become a grandmother for the first time in about 3 weeks!! That is part of what is keeping me so busy, sewing all the baby's room curtains etc. Jo-Ann |
| Jo Ann's Story |
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