azsnowman wrote:Thank you for your kind words, your words of encouragement and the prayers!! Just curious, has anyone here had a melinoma? I've tried not to let it get to me and I WILL NOT allow it to, however, it's the initial shock I guess that sent me for a tail spin......didn't know if I wanted to shed a tear, get angry and lash out.....it's sinking in now and the ONLY thing to do is to GET TOUGH and not let this get me DOWN!!
Dennis
Dennis - a diagnosis like this a shock. I went thru many stages - shock, disbelief, why me, anger, shock again, rage, acceptance, crying fits, etc. After a week or more, I finally looked myself in the mirror and decided I would do all I could to fight it. And you will too. You just need to go thru of these stages first. And cry you will. When you least expect it. And the stages last, I slipped into them, from time to time. That first 6 months to a year is very rough, phsyically and emotionally.
I forgot to suggest you take Michelle along on all medical appts. I was glad later I had Jim with me. He remembered things I swear I hadn't heard the doctor say (I was still in shock mode). You need a spouse/relative/close friend with you, to help you remember all that you're told. And they might even think of a question, you would have, but you are still trying to grasp what is happening. Write it all down too. Start a folder right now.
And finally, researching on the Internet or at your local library is a very good idea.