VICTORIA LIND
TO BE BRIEF, FIRST DIAGN. 8 YRS AGO. A MOLE REMOVED FROM RIGHT SHOULDER. REPORT SHOWED CELLS CHANGING. SEPT, 99 DIAGNOSED WITH MELANOMA IN LYMPH NODES UNDER RIGHT ARM. HAD MANY SCANS APP 5, AND LIVER BIOPSY. ONLY SHOWED IN LYMPH NODE. SURGERY WAS PERFORMED AND ALL LYMPH NODES WERE REMOVED. GOOD RECOVERY. IN JAN, 2000, DISCOVERED ANOTHER LUMP IN SAME AREA. BIOPSY REVEALED MELANOMA. HAD SURGERY THIS PAST FRI, WITH REMOVAL OF ALL TISSUE AND SKIN THAT SHOWED DISEASED. HAD TO HAVE PLASTIC SURGERY IN ORDER TO FILL SOME OF THE GAP, AND IN ORDER TO CLOSE. THIS TUMOR HAD GROWN, IN 3 MOS TO THE SIZE OF A GRAPEFRUIT. I AM NERVOUS ABOUT THIS. INTERFERON IS BEING DISCUSSED. WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM ANY OF YOU OUT THERE WHO HAVE HAD INTERFERON TREATMENT AND HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT IT. I LIVE IN CHATT, TN AND AT OUR CANCER CENTER THIS IS ALL THEY HAVE TO OFFER. AM NOT INTERESTED IN ANY OF THE TRIALS OUT THERE. PLEASE, LET ME HEAR FROM YOU. WANT TO TALK WITH SOMEONE WHO HAS HAD THIS TREATMENT. DRS AT VANDERBILT ARE NOT "HIGH" ON IT, BUT THIS IS AN AGGRESSIVE CANCER AND I MUST BE AGGRESSIVE. I DO NOT WANT TO DIE. I AM 52 YRS YOUNG. HAVE MUCH LIVING TO DO. THANK YOU...VICKI