Hi! It's strange. I am told that I look well too. It seems with stage 4 cancer, people expect for us to look very poorly. I have my days when I do look a bit ***. I do have a wig now though, so that helps. I do feel poorly sometimes and tired after chemotherapy, now immunotherapy.
I was diagnosed with DCIS breast cancer 4 years ago had mastectomy and reconstruction no other treatment required recovered and got on with life . In November last year I noticed mole on my back start to grow with small pea sized spot at side had biopsy’s in January which showed stage 3 melanoma with micro satellite. Then lymph nodes in right side beck swollen up saw plastic surgeon waited 5 weeks to see head neck surgeon who removed nodes now swollen to-tangerine size with infiltration to muscle etc in neck area lost nerve running up side face so have some nerve damage to right side face all way to ear with damage . Also area in back where initial mole had changed had started to grow dark grape like spots under the skin so I knew melanoma was back . Surgeon removed these with 2 cm clearance and skin graft but had extensive surgery to remove groth at side neck and front neck with large scars. Have now been told I have stage 4 melanoma as it now in my lymph nodes to left side and liver and lungs alongside adrenal glands.commenced on immunotherapy which I feel Is helping has 2 treatments so far . Like you I am getting on with life as best I can but the amount of people who say you look fabulous is quite hard to process as inside you know you are falling to pieces. I am still up keeping my beauty regime as I don’t want tolook terrible I want to look in the mirror and at least look normal as most of my extensice scars from the surgeries are covered . No sure what people think we should look like keep up the good appearances it’s that positive part that won’t give in xx
