OT - Stepdaughter needs your prayers.

[kimwcook]

My stepdaughter was just diagnosed with Melanoma skin cancer. She's just 25 and last year graduated with her second bachelor's degree. The first one in history, the second one in elementary education. She was working for the Vancouver, WA School District as a substitute but that just ended with the school year. Being a substitute she wasn't eligible for medical insurance. The offending mole is on her lower abdomen and when it was biopsied it was thicker than 1mm and definitely malignant. That means when the mole is exised they'll be shooting radio active dye into her lymph systema to find the sentinel lymph node and then take a biopsy of it. If the Sentinel node is cancerous the doctor will work his way out to the satellite nodes and see what they're like. The surgery alone is a minimum $20,000. Then there's Interferon for a year with a price tag of anywhere from $600 - $3,400 a month depending on whether it's pills or injection.

She's done everything right and has this to look forward to. She married her sweetheart last year and he's still finishing up his degree in computer science. She worked full time and carried a full scholastic load with a GPA of 3.75.

She wants kids and is very concerned with having radiation so close to her ovaries. She's taking it very well but it's got to be tearing her up inside.

She needs your thoughts and prayers.

Her husband has put together a website if your interested. http://ashley.beckcreations.com/

[JerryB]

Just trust in the Lord and turn it over to Him. I'll pray for ya'll.

[C. Cash]

Yes Sir...going out!!!!

[RSY]

It will be my pleasure. My heart and prayers certainly go out to them.

Scott

[JReed]

Prayers said.

[AJMD429]

Everyone related to her should get to their family doctor (assuming they have a good one; if they don't, a dermatologist of course can do the job also) and ask for a head-to-toe skin exam. Many doctors I've known over the years won't do such a thorough exam, even at a 'physical,' for fear of spending too much time on one appointment (unlike most other professionals, physicians cannot usually charge meaningfully for our time per se), or for fear of embarassing a patient who may not otherwise need an unclothed exam.

Melanoma is common in young people (who haven't had many years of sun yet), 'indoor' people (who haven't had many burns), and on areas of the body which get VERY little sun exposure. The "common knowledge" that sun exposure "causes" skin cancer may not be true and may lead to missed cases, because individuals who avoid excess sun may assume they are safe and be less vigilant. (It may help those who DO abuse sun, because they may be more vigilant, and some studies show that sun worshipers who DO get melanoma may get it diagnosed at a less invasive stage.)

There is "data" that shows that more melanoma patients have a history of severe sunburns, but interviews after diagnosis (of something the patient assumed must be due to sun) can be biased (the patient has spent a week wondering "why me" and remembering that summer as a lifeguard, vs. the "control" patient who has no such angst, and is usually just bored and filling out a questionnaire). There is also the likelihood that the TYPE of skin which forms melanoma may just happen to also be more easily burned (but not necessarily ever 'burn' if the patient avoids the sun).

Moral of the story - everyone should get a thorough annual physicial, ESPECIALLY family members of melanoma patients, and don't assume that avoiding excess sun leaves you protected.

OK - scientific part over - (now for the really important part): prayers up!

[Jaguarundi]

Godbless and Godspeed recovery.

[BigSky56]

I hope that she will be ok and everything works out for her. danny

[gamekeeper]

Prayers sent, I wish your stepdaughter a speedy recovery. God bless.

[Rusty]

Done.

[gon2shoot]

Done.
Pass along our best wishes also.

[dr walker]

I am so sorry to hear this. I will keep her in my families prayers.

[Tycer]

Prayers sent!

[20cows]

Done!

[Griff]

Kim,
Prayers up. As a long time melanoma patient, (my face, neck arms and legs are very scarred up from all the stuff removed), sometimes there's just no rhyme or reason, do what the dermatologist sez... My sister, who seems to be melanoma free, was diagnosed with colon cancer several years ago, just got her "one year cancer free" checkup so I got my hair cut. Donated 18" of my locks to "Locks of Love" in her name and feel like a young man again. Suffered thru 4+ years of growin' my hair long, lots of ribbin' from friends and family, but... until I sent my sister the card, never said why I let it go long. Back to "no rhyme", while I have skin cancer of several types, (the dermatologist sez he likes to see me just to see what type I've developed in the last year), my sister hasn't been so afflicted. But, will 2nd what AJMD429 said, get checked, it can spread very rapidly. I probably wouldn't have been checked quite so young, except in my mid 30's I developed a sore right behind the knuckle on my trigger finger that would not heal; finally, after several months I went to a dermatologist, and have been under one's constant supervision ever since. As my dermatologist sez, it's usually not deadly, if treated properly and caught early enough; anyway, again, prayers up.

[TedH]

Prayers sent.

[rjohns94]

Prayers up for sure. I have been through that myself, discovered the malignancy on my physical when I was getting out of the service. I have had three bouts of it counting that first incident. Praying God's blessing on her and her family and friends and may she have the support and comfort and love that not only sustains, but enriches. Blessings.

[Ysabel Kid]

Done sir! Knee-mail sent and will continue!

[cnjarvis]

Sent Friend. Sorry to hear this.

[Dastook]

Prayers up!! I just read the other day that they cured a man completely of this with a breakthrough in cloning the patients own T1 cells ( could be very wrong on that but it is our own cancer fighting cells) and injecting them back into the patient. There is some real advances in this area. Good luck.

[Noah Zark]

On the list . . .

Noah

[don Tomás]

You and yours are in our prayers...
Tom & Family

[Nath]

Kimwcook, this post has stumped me. I am very sorry, what a burden for someone so young.
Blessings for Her.
Nath.

[RIHMFIRE]

PRAYERS SENT!

[Jeff Quinn]

God bless you all.

[O.S.O.K.]

done

[kimwcook]

I'm sorry I haven't had the time today to get to the computer until now. Thanks for all the blessings and prayers. They're needed. That's one reason why I love this forum. You're great.

[tman]

prayers sent. look into a macro-biotic diet. geta juicer and make fresh carrot juice. i beleive in prayer and nutrition in fighting skin cancer. my sister had it years ago, and it return, at the time, they told her not to have children. my niece is 21yrs. old and my sister is alive and cancer free. this worked for her. god bless you all.

[Hobie]

Prayers said...

[AmBraCol]

I'm sorry I haven't had the time today to get to the computer until now. Thanks for all the blessings and prayers. They're needed. That's one reason why I love this forum. You're great.

Well, Kim, I've been thinkin' on this since I first read it. It's been a busy day, but your daughter's plight has been in my mind. Right now there's a little boy just down the hall as I type this note. He's staying with us for a few days while his folks are doing a university level intensive course in another city. Normally he'd have stayed with his grandma - but she's recovering from a melanoma related surgery and simply doesn't have the energy to take care of lil' six year old "question a minute" ... Shucks, I'm relatively healthy and it's been a bit of a drain as our kids are all grown and gone. Still, it's great to have him around - but I digress. My point is, the Lord does some great stuff. I'll definitely lift your daughter up before His throne.

And pass on our well wishes to her. We're on her side in this battle.

[Chuck 100 yd]

Yes Friend!

[Rod WMG]

Prayers for God's will and comfort for you all.

[Rexster]

Done, and will do.

[1886]

Very touching story sir. I wish your family all the best. God bless. 1886.

[w30wcf]

I was very sorry to hear of this. I will pray for her and her family.

Hopefully, they have caught it in time before it has had the chance to spread. When my youngest daughter was about 16 years old she had a suspicious looking mole removed on her leg. The lab report came back that is was a melanoma. A plastic surgeon then operated, removing more tissue around where the mole had been.
Thankfully, by the grace of god, it had not spread and today she is a healthy 34 year old.

w30wcf

[greasy dan]

Prayers up...