Biopsy for suspected melanoma metastasis and possibly another cancer

I can understand the anxiety of further tests and what they may reveal. On the other hand they may not reveal anything at all, which may lead to more anxiety.
I learned something many years ago whilst going off to war. It didn't sit well with me then, only later in life. It being that there are no guarantees to life and the sooner we accept the fact that we may not make it back to safety, the easier the battle will be. Or as the poet Macaulay said about Horatius, Captain of the gate, "To every man upon this earth Death cometh soon or late." The trick is to live well and die well.
No one wants to die. But to die is part of life and can never be avoided. However in your case, to die isn't likely even part of the conversation, unless of course you smoke with COPD. At least chew nicotine gum instead.
"When you are going through hell, keep going!" - Churchill. This is just another step in the road. Just take the steps necessary and make the best of your path in life. You can do this. Courage.

Thank you so much for your words of wisdom and wonderful quotes! I think it’s the courage piece I’m lacking. Today, I was given 4 differing instructions for pre op as well as a completely different explanation than a resident had provided. Right now, I’m beyond lost! Hopefully tomorrow I’ll be able to find out exactly what is planned for me. I thought there was only patient has a voice, apparently I was wrong.
I’ll keep you updated on the latest events.

Hi @uma1,

I bought a Philips VoiceTracer DVT1160 ($42 on Amazon) to record every appointment with every person I was in contact with so I could always go back and play so nothing is missed. Never had any of my doctors or others which I have seen many over the years not allow it and some actually were glad so important information is not missed. I have done this in 2008 with my first tonsil cancer caused from HPV and more recently in 2024 for my tongue cancer which was most likely caused from my radiation treatment in 08’.

Good luck on your journey.

Hello, I am so sorry for all the anxiety that you are experiencing. As a former smoker I know how hard it is to quit. Nicotine gum works for the physical craving. I went to a professional hypnotherapy session and never smoked again. I am also in recovery 23 years sober one day at a time. Sometimes one hour at a time. One thing I had to realize is not to project too much into the future. I also had to realize that Cancer is not my higher power.
We are only 7 months into our Cancer journey. The anxiety and waiting is excruciating. Deep breathing exercises and finding friends and families to talk to helps. Educating ourselves on reliable sites (like Mayo , Cleveland Clinics, ACA )helped as well. I am amazed at modern medicine and the dedication of all the medical community . Developing a trusting relationship with your physicians as well. We were lucky to go to Mayo Clinic as well as for our AU doctors down here in Georgia. Because we educated ourselves it helped us to make the hard decisions. Tomorrow will be husband Joe’s last chemotherapy he says he can’t wait to ring the bell they have here. 5 more radiation treatments and his can ring that bell too!
Since he has CUP we may never know if it is lurking or if we got it through the wonders of modern medicine. What we do know is that we got through it one minute, one hour one day at a time and you will too. Please let us know how you are doing. We wish you well on your journey MAC andJAC

I'm so very sorry about what you're experiencing and how you're feeling. The mention or suspicion of 'cancer' has no equal in raising one's anxiety level. Believe me, I know (malignant melanoma). But try not to get ahead of yourself - or your possible diagnosis. Music is a great distractor for me when I need to calm myself down. Reading is also a pleasant diversion if you can find something engrossing. I am thinking of you though we are not acquainted; I'm sending good energy out: good, positive thoughts for calm and strength, @uma1. This site is a great resource with loads of support and so many caring people. You are not alone.

Hi Robles, I think that is a great idea. It’s so say to forget what’s transpired many times. I’ll look into that! I appreciate your information. Take care.

Thank you so much, bluelizard. I agree, this site is great and I’ve learned a lot from it.