New baby,just diagnosed, and terrified

[Happy_girl]

Hi everyone! I’m new here and I am terrified to say the least. I was recently diagnosed stage 1b. My tumor was 1.8 mm deep w/o ulceration. It did have a mitotic rate of 3- which I know is not good. I already had the slnb and it came back negative. I guess I am just terrified of these next two years and waiting and seeing what is going to happen. My mind has been all over the place and I am terrified that I will not see my new baby grow up! I know there are people who have a much more serious prognosis- but I am still terrified! Can someone like me live for long than the 10 year survival rates I always see. Are there people out there?

And now- every single mole on my body looks awful to me!

I guess I’m just scared.

[tbeau]

Hi Happy Girl

I am so sorry to hear of your diagnosis. I am a stage 1b and like any melanoma diagnosis it is quite the emotional roller coaster. I was diagnosed almost 2 years ago. It hasn’t been easy but it does get easier with time. Congratulations on your new baby! Focus on your baby and be vigilant about looking for new moles or marks and go to the dermatologist every 3 months for a skin check. And, don’t forget to enjoy life every single day.

[Catherine Poole]

You are not alone. We have all had these feelings and anxiety You’ve come to the right place for reassurance. Be sure to check out some tools to help you: mindful meditation, therapy, exercise, etc. Take care of your head and your body. Time heals..keep in touch

[Happy_girl]

Is this a death sentence for me since it’s deeper than 1 mm?

[Serena99]

Hang on there. Got my melanoma diagnosis when my twins had 2 years. Wait and see for 15 years … Where i lived for 300 400 % full life …. Until last year where i progressed without any warning when they were almost 18!

Be positive and enjoy life … I see many friends fullof energy after stage 1 and 2.

[TreeFrog]

Hi HappyGirl,

No, not a death sentence – not even close! The statistic for 10-year survival for Stage 1b is 86% … and it’s probably an old statistic. But even at that, you’d be overwhelmingly likely to get old and die of something else eventually.

And you can look at it this way … even if you did have a recurrence way in the future, by that time they may have much better treatments. They are already part-way there. So “death sentence” is not even on your horizon.

Don’t worry – be sure NOT to Google (because there is lots of scary, old info out there that no longer applies), and enjoy your new baby!

Best wishes,

~Wendy

[Catherine Poole]

I am 26 years out. There are many who never recur, especially with a negative SLNB. Your close surveillance will catch anything early and so you have that on your side. You really have to be vigilant to any changes in your body, but at the same time live life in the moment. It is a difficult spot to be in, but it has happened to us all here. Enjoy your baby and don’t forget the tools to finding peace, such as mindful meditation and exercise. It all helps!

[Happy_girl]

Thank you for the encouragement. It give me hope that maybe it has been caught early enough. I’m working on not thinking about it all the time every day. I’m hoping distance from the diagnosis helps. Thank you all so very much! Although I wish you all were not dealing with this, it is a blessing for me to have people I can turn to with questions.

[Author]

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