CancerCompass message board discussion started by Cemona2 on 2/22/2007 http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,9834,0.htm Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss RSS.NET: http://www.rssdotnet.com/ My mother had a mole come up on her leg -- seemed like overnight -- the summer of 2005.  She had it removed along with a couple of lymph nodes in her groin area and they felt they had removed all of the melanoma when she returned for her six-month check up (Feb 2006).  In March 2006 I took her on a trip to see a childhood girlfriend and during this time she became weak and didn't feel good.  When we returned her groin area where the lymph nodes were removed swelled up and became feverish.  She wasn't too keen on her oncologist personality and  decided to go to her regular doctor instead (against my wishes).  He gave her some antibiotics, which took the swelling and inflammation down, but the knot did not go away.  My father had heart failure in August 2006, and again her groin swelled up and this time I made her go to her oncologist.  They took a biopsy and it was metastasic melanoma stage IV in-operative.  I was devistated!  A PET scan was scheduled and they found a second tumor behind her belly-button and lying close to the spine.  My mom was put on Temador a new trial chemo drug, that is not FDA approved, but has had remarkable results in Europe.  The first round put her in the hospital for 3 days as it depleted her platelets.  She skipped the second dose due to this and the 3rd dose they decreased the dosage, and she did pretty good.  The 4th dose they increased it again and it put her in the hospital for 5 days.  She had to have two blood transfusions and two bags of platelets.  That was a close call.  Her doctor decided they would try what is called CyberKnife on the tumor in the stomach.  She had three rounds of treatments, but unfortunately they didn't work.  When she was on the chemo the tumor in her groin actually shrunk a little and we had high hopes.  The tumors have increased in size, and the tumor in her groin is tender and she is uncomfortable with the size it has grown (about 6 inces long and about 2-3 inches wide), in fact to me, it feels like there is a second tumor possible on top of this tumor that is growing in size.  She has no pain, which is a God's blessing, but she has no appetite either.  They have given her medicine to increase her appetite, but she says her taste buds just have no desire to eat.  Does anyone out there have any incouraging words?  My faith is very strong and it is what gets me through everyday.  I am the only sibling left and my dad is quite ill too.  I want to stay upbeat for her and "if" her time is short I want to take her to the places she wants to go before she gets to ill to go anywhere.  I pray for your father and I pray for strength for you.  You will find sometimes it's almost more than you can bare -- that's when you give it to God.  God Bless!  Feeling your pain, Charlene Cemona2 Thu, 22 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT