Mike's Story via Ani Palmo

In spring of '99, I discovered a infection in my middle finger on my left hand. I went to the VA Doctor and he identified it as a nail fungus. As time progressed, it got worse, my nail split and it got a big scab. The Doctor still treated it as a nail fungus for about a year, and I finally insisted that he send me to a dermatologist. When she saw it, she immediately identified it as a metastatic melanoma. I was then sent to the Baltimore VA hospital for a biopsy, and it confirmed the diagnosis. A week later I was summoned back to the hospital to have the finger amputated above the knuckle. Then, you were kind enough to take me back to the facilities in Maryland and pamper me for a couple days while I recovered.

I was fine for about a year, then one day I discovered a lump in my arm pit. I consulted my local GP and he sent me to a surgeon for a biopsy. It came back positive and the surgeon concluded that the first melanoma was not diagnosed in time, and the cancer travelled up my arm to my lymph gland.

Mike provided a report from the oncologist. It states: "Without additional surgical procedures, I think we can make a definitive statement reagarding the significance of these abnormalities. If there is metastatic melanoma in the areas described on CT scan, I think the patient would be incurable regardless of theraputic intervention." He followed with, "As I discussed with the patient, axillary lymph node metastasis unfortunately results in a situation with relatively high probability of additional relapse and death from melanoma."

Mike continues: I underwent chemotherapy twice a week for a year, lost 100 pounds, and was in pretty bad shape. I finally got rid of the cancer. I know you prayed for me during that period..... thanks for your interest.....Mike