Thursday, September 1, 2011

Can I get a "re-do" on the month of August?

So where to begin? Several things have put a damper on our summer, but for now I’ll share the one we’re still dealing with.
I’m not one to get to personal on my blog. I really just enjoy sharing crafty ideas & look forward to it! But I feel like I should tell you all what happened so that maybe even more people will be aware of it. What is “it” I’m talking about? Melanoma skin cancer.
This July my sister-in-law found out that one of her moles was stage 0 Melanoma. The good thing is at that point it can be removed & “cured”. For now its just 3-6 month skin & health checks. Though I’m not happy she had that type of skin cancer found, I am happy it made my husband get a spot on his arm checked. So after all the months I told him to get that spot checked & he brushed it off, this finally this got him in the dr.’s office!!

 After a large punch biopsy of his mole was taken, we waited for the call of the results. On the day the call was expected, my husband took the day off of work & we decided to go to Chicago for a day of family fun. We wanted the girls to remember this summer as “fun”. Not weeks of worry. After we hit the Art Institute.....(here are 2 of our favorite spots)




Then it was off to the "Bean"
Aways makes for a fun reflective family photo :D

Then he received the call & found out it was Melanoma. Numb & not sure what to feel, we decided to end the day on a happy note….and took the girls to the circus & the fireworks at Navy Pier.....
What stage was he? We weren’t able to confirm until he had yet another surgery to remove an even larger portion of his arm.

So off the hospital we went. Then another 3 days of waiting to make sure the entire tumor was removed. ( I decided to spare you of the photo of his gigantic scar. Its so large that we love to tease that he was attacked by a shark!! And this Melanoma was considered to be small!). This is why its so important to catch these early.
The only good thing we kept hearing is “ it was thin” so the chances of it spreading to the lymph nodes were slimmer. Last Friday we got the second call. They had a full removal of the tumor & no residual cancer cells!! YEA!!!!!!
What a relief!! Though he still has a few more test & dr. visits to go, we’re in a much better place right now then we were just a few weeks ago.

Now its my turn. Yep, you heard me right. I am next to get a spot removed. Though mine is smaller then my husbands mole was, it has the exact same characteristics. What a summer huh? More surgeries & waiting for test result! Ahhhhh!!

So why am I telling you all this? I just want to bring awareness. Please don’t ignore any spot ….new or old!! It doesn’t matter if your fair skin or not, whether you have a family history of it , or if you’re young or old. Catch it early!! If you want more info on what to look for check out this site


And don’t worry….. My next post will be a fun one...promise !!



12 comments:

Nancy said...

So sorry about all the medical woes for you this summer, Trisha -- but happy that everyone is entering Fall with a clean bill of skin health. :)

TexWisGirl said...

oh trisha. i'm sorry this has been a helluva summer for you and yours. i'm hoping your results will at least be as good as your husband's or even better - less than your sis-in-law's! keep the faith, dearie!

Lisa @ Two Bears Farm said...

Oh how stressful. I love how you all made the most of a hard time by going out and finding some fun activities. I hope that the results from your biopsy are all clear!

Dawn said...

Oh! What a summer.
It seems you still tried to make the best of what was.....what a dear mom and wife you are!!!!
hugs

Unknown said...

oh Trisha :( I am sorry to hear what your family went through this summer. I keep putting off going to the Dr to get a spot looked at. I promise i will go now. The C word is scary stuff.

Heather said...

Trisha, thanks for the reminder and sound advice. I went several years ago for a full body check at the dermatologist's. Your post reminds me that I need to check in again!

Heidi said...

Sorry to hear that but I'm glad is all good now. You guys were great on still trying to have fun though it all, it teaches your girls a valuable lesson.

Tonia said...

Glad its been okay so far as in sugery is getting!.. Hopin gyours is okay... Sounds like our summer a couple of years ago.. My MIL had to have a complete hysteroctomy(sp?) She had cancer and they woudlnt knwo till after surgery if it had spread.. It hadnt but it got MY attention I hadnt been to the dr since my youngest were 1... They were 12.. I went and got check.. I had the stage before it turned to cancer.. Forget now what it is called but I had a complete hysterectomy but they got it all.. It was a nervous and tiring summer! Praying things go well for you all!

Tonia said...

Sorry about all the typos I didnt check it well before hitting enter!!Lol

Diane Writes said...

Hi Trisha! I'm sorry to hear the news. I was about to comment on your blog because you have not been posting lately. I will definitely check out the site. You know your article kinda freaked me out too. I get paranoid over the moles in my body. I will pray for you too. Have a great day and I wish you well.

Anonymous said...

It must have been a hard summer for your family, but it's great that you found out on time and everything is going well. Thank you for sharing, awareness is so important. It's one of those things we think they don't happen to us, until they do happen or they happen to someone we know, even if it is only digitally.

Allison said...

A meaningful post, Trisha. Thank you so much for sharing this. It takes courage, but I believe that sharing can help people you don't even know. It helps to know someone out there has been through it. I'm right here with you guys. Praying and hoping and holding tight. Warm hugs!