Stage 2a melanoma diagnosed in February 2017

[Staceyj36]

Hi! My name is Stacey. I'm 36 years old. A wife to an amazing guy and mother to 3 beautiful daughters. I was diagnosed in February with stage 2a melanoma. Surgery in march for wide local excision and a sentinel node biopsy. They removed 3 nodes. All came back clear margins and negative for cancer. I'm still anxious about recurrance. I think about it every day. My uncle died from this horrible disease at age 32 so it's extra unsettling for me. Glad to have found this site for support!

[ohdot50]

Hi Stacey,

My son was diagnosed last June (2016) at the age of 41 with Stage 2A melanoma as well. He also had 3 nodes removed - all negative for cancer along with clear margins after the WLE. As a mother, I, too am very anxious about recurrence. It's a very frightening disease for sure. My son, has passed the first year mark and is doing well so far NED. Just keep your follow-up appointments, and check your own body, and trust your doctors. I know, at stage 2A we sometimes think not enough is being done, but this stage is still considered a local disease so there is much to be thankful for, and so much of life yet to live. Don't live in fear, have faith.

Sincerely,

Dot

[Carola01 Ambassador]

Thank you for sharing! We are here for you! One of my nodes tested positive and that was nearly 17 years ago this Oct. It is scary. Thinking of you. ❤️❤️❤️

[papillion]

Hi Stacey. I am glad to see that you are doing well so far. I am 35 and was just diagnosed. The surgeon is going to consult with me next week about the wide local excision and the sentinel lymph node biopsy. If you don't mind my asking, how was your recovery from the surgery?

[Staceyj36 in reply to papillion]

I'm so sorry for your diagnosis. my recovery from the WLE was easy. I have about a 5-6 inch scar on the middle of my back. The stitches were annoying but not painful after the first couple of days. The SNB part of the recovery was much harder. I had a 2 inch inscision under my armpit that caused me significant discomfort for a long time and I'm still dealing with residual nerve pain there. So annoying! Wishing you ALL the best. I'll be praying for you!

[SaltyBae]

I had the same thing! The sentinel lymph node biopsy in my armpit and groin were worse to recover from than my skin graft on my shin and half of my bicep being gone! And trying to deal with the “lymphedema?” has been a real treat. Have you seen any specialists for following up with the nerve damage from the lymph node removal?