10/24/00: Ok!!! My name is Stacy I just turned 30yrs old on October 14th. Wow did I get a 30th birthday present.
I am a sun worshiper!! But always thought it could never happen to me. About 4 months ago I discovered a mole on my buttocks. Well I just figured I was getting a mole. It becames raised as time went on. One day I grazed it with my hand so I decided to take a closer look. It had changed size and color. I went to my pcp he referred me to a plastic surgeon to get it removed. One week later I had it removed. I never was worried about the results. They told me they would call me in a week . It was less than a week they called and told me I had a level III melanoma. I was shocked!!! My husband was devistated. I couldnt calm him daown I was still in shock so it took me a few days for it to hit me. My husband and I lost our mothers to cancer.

The docters have scheduled me with an oncologist on Wed 25 th so hear I wait with a lot on my mind hopeing this oncologist will be able to answer my questions. My husband has been VERY!! supportive and will be coming to my appointment with me tommorrow. I will keep you updated after my appointment!!!

October 25th: I have just come back from the oncologist appointment.
My appointment went well ( I think). He told me that the tumor was 1.5mm and it was a level II. He does not seem to think that this is caused from sun exposure. He has scheduled me for a cat scan on Tues. of my abdomen and pelvic area. Also I need some further surgery to remove more tissue around where the tumor was. He believes that it was all caught in time and there is a rare chance this would occur again. I will be back to discuss my test results!

Thursday October 26 I have been on the phone making arrangement for my surgery.
I am just finding out that it will not be an office procedure!!! I have to go as an outpatient in the hospital. That means they are taking a good chunk!! of my buttocks.(ouch).

Well in the meantime I still have been researching to see if the doctors are treating this properly. I visit this sight for melanoma patients often. It is a posting board and I have given them my pathology report on how deep it was and I received several emails saying I definitly should get a lymph node biopsy. Well I called the doctor back and questioned him and told him how I felt. He said where it is (in a rar spot) I dont beleive it is necessary. I was comfortable with that explanation.

2 hours and the phone rings. The doctor called me back to tell me he has talked to a surgical oncologist and he would like to do a test while they are excising, to show where the cancer would drain to. He also said sometimes this cancer can show up in unkown places. So this will help them.
So my surgery is cancelled and I have to meet with this specialist next week. He will be doing the surgery. I am very comfortable with this decision because it seems that they are taking that extra step to make sure I am ok.

November 1st: I went for my cat scan.
Boy was I shocked! I thought it was a simple x-ray. I started off my drinking this gross liquid. Then they call me back, put me in a room and tell me I can leave my clothes on just remove my bra. So I am thinking wow this is easy! She comes back and says to me that she is now going to give me an enema!!! I look at her funny and she says "they didnt tell you all this did they?" I said no!!! She said after that I need to give you an IV and run dye through you during the test! At this point I want to just go home!! She brings me back to the X-room. and lays me dowm,starts the IV and I started to get moved in and out of the machine. She came back to tell me that she will be puting the dye through. That was a very weird feeling. I was sooo scared at this point. When it was over the radiologist came in and said everything looked good!! So that was good news. Next step is my second opinion from another oncologist!!!
Talk to you then!

November 1st I just got back from my second opinion.
This doctor is a surgical oncologist. He examined me, had me get dressed and came in to talk to me. The first thing he said was there is no question in his mind that he would do a lymph node biopsy. Also he wants do do this lymph mapping. This is where he is going to inject dye where the tumor was. This will lead him to the lymph nodes he needs to biopsy, also if it shows another path this might take. He said because this is my "trunk" of my body he has some concern it could take other paths. He also has scheduled me for a chest x-ray. After the mapping test on the 13th, he has scheduled me for surgery on the 20th. He is taking a 11/2 to a 2inch margin around the tumor sight. I looked at him and asked "am I going to have a but cheek left?" He said yes but you will have a good size scar! He will also at the same time, take some nodes to biopsy.

I guess this is what I wanted, a doctor very thorough!! But in same breath I was hoping he thought I wouldnt need this. I am very scared of this 2hr mapping and this surgery!!! But he did make a good point. He said "I am sure your kids will thank you some day that you did take these tests!!!" I agreed my family is very important to me. I also just have that fear what he might find also. But when all said and done my mind will be rested that I was checked thourogh.

So I guess I just wait anxously to start this process. Oh by the wasy, I am have two more moles removed next Thursday. I'll be back to let you know how that went.
Talk to you soon, Stacy

November 16, 2000: Last week I went to get 4 moles removed, 1 off my neck and 3 off my back.
I had myself pretty worked up about getting this done. When I went for my butt, the needles were VERY painful. My husband took me and I made him stay in the room with me. It turned out that it was not as bad as
the last time. He also helped by coaching saying "its almost over". The doctor seemed to think these moles were nothing to be worried about, but he will send them to be tested.

This past Monday, I went for my lymph node mapping test and pre-op tests. The lynph node test was terrible. They took me in and told me I would receive 4 injections of dye around the tumor sight (butt). He stuck me with the first one and pushed that dye through, I almost jumped off the table. The next one I yelped like a dog!!! He stopped to give me a break. After 2 seconds I just said keep going, why torture myself. After those they took x-rays for about an hour.That part was easy. I think my husband was quite traumatized at that point!!

I was on my way out to say good-bye to the nurses. They said I will see you Monday! I said "what are you talking about?" They told me I would be receiving the same injections on Monday before my surgery!! Lets just say I was not happy!!! I continued with my other pre-op tests and everything else looked good.
So, I received a call Friday telling me to be at the hospital at 6:45 for my surgery. It is almost over!!!! Talk to you soon after that.