Hi Charlene. I hope you're recovering well from your surgery; I see it wasn't all that long ago you'd gone through your biopsy so I imagine you've been grappling with a lot these past few months.

I, too, was diagnosed with metastatic melanoma in my lung back in November when I started on Keytruda. I've had 6 infusions so far and have been doing fairly well. My lung nodule responded very favorably after three cycles but of course I need to remain on the immunotherapy which is not without potential side effects and everyone responds differently.

The best bit of advice I could give you would be to familiarize yourself with the potential adverse effects in the event you should become aware of developing one you can notify your team early on. For example, I had a slight skin rash after my third infusion I immediately notified my oncology team about so I was seen and started on a corticosteriod cream which helped keep it in check. Last week I realized the neck symptoms I was experiencing were related to thyroid issues that can occur as a result of pembrolizumab so again I was seen for evaluation and treatment. My husband had initially warned me I was reading "too much" as he feared I was getting alarmed about possibilities that may never occur - which is true; some might not. But at least I felt prepared and ready to act on those that did without panicking or waiting too long until they may have become more uncomforfortable or difficult to treat.

Be sure to inform anyone who is treating you for any issues - other providers, even aestheticians if you're getting massages or facials - that you're receiving immunotherapy - as you may be more sensitized to fragrances, alcohols, preservatives or dyes as your skin may be more sensitive.

I do give into how I'm feeling on certain days and try not to push myself or feel guilty if I'm feeling fatigued - it's okay to go along with simply "being". A saying I remind myself of on such days is: We're human beings, not human do-ings! Go at your own pace. We'll always be here for you.