My Story
My journey with melanoma began in July of 2004, when I had a mole removed that was malignant melanoma.
I was then sent to a general surgeon for a wide excision removing a silver dollar size area from my inner knee. Afterword, I was told that the melanoma was contained to the biopsy site and that “I was one of the lucky ones.” The doctor also told me he didn’t feel it was necessary to do a follow up with an oncologist. (Big mistake)
I thought what most people think that skin cancer was just something that happens on the skin and you just get it taken off and that's the end of it went on my merry way thinking I was “lucky.”
One year later, August 2005, I became very ill with an upper respiratory infection and a fever. I also had a terrible cough that wouldn't go away. Doctor after Doctor sent me home with steroid packs and antibiotics. My diagnosis ranged from a bad cold to bronchitis, but I just kept getting worse.
One weekend I fell ill enough and went to an urgent care facility and they did a chest x-ray. The x-ray showed pneumonia and “shadows.” From there I was fast tracked through a series of CT scans of the chest, abdomen and pelvis. These tests revealed that I had many tumors, on my lungs, liver, wrapped around my esophagus, all through my lymph nodes in my chest and hot spots to my hip and shoulder bones.
It stated “worrisome for metastasis disease.”
I was then given a lung biopsy and after all was said and done the tests revealed that I had stage IV melanoma cancer.
The average life expectancy of a stage IV melanoma patient is 6–9 months. These were the statistics I was facing. I kept asking myself, how did I get here, how does this happen . . .
I was then referred to a melanoma specialist Dr. Jared Gollob at Duke University Medical center. Some of his first words to me was "we have something for this" we discussed interlukin–2 (IL–2) and decided that this treatment could potentially save my life. I underwent 6 treatments of a week long each in the hospital of high dose IL–2 over a course of 9 months. This was a very difficult treatment and certainly no walk in the park but I knew it was the best chance I had at saving my life.
As of June 2009 I will be 3 years cancer free. I am aware that there is always a chance I may have to face this cancer again, all I can do is continue to do my part of taking care of my body, exercise, eat a healthy diet and take supplements that benefit and boost my immune system.
Let this be a lesson to those of you that think tanning is harmless; there is no tan out there worth dying for.
Even if I beat this disease I will not be the norm. Most stage IV melanoma cancer patients die within 5 years. If I live past 5 years I will almost be considered a miracle.
So, please if you or someone you know is tanning or using a tanning bed, tell them my story. Tell them that the tan they are getting is "a killer tan" literally.
Melanoma is happening all around us and until we learn to practice sun safety, more and more people will be diagnosed and die from this disease. This includes our children as melanoma is now the leading cause of death for girls in their late teens and early twenties. I thank God for each and every day I am given. I appreciate every blade of grass and every flower that has bloomed. I am truly blessed with the support of my family, my wonderful husband and friends. I don't know what tomorrow brings or the day after that, but I do know that I am here today and that now I have a mission and that mission is to tell my story and to warn others about the dangers of tanning and to hopefully save lives one person at a time.
I also know how important it is to reach out to others to offer hope through reading my story and letting them know they too can beat this disease.
We can regain some control over our lives through various forms of “alternative” methods in conjunction with traditional treatments and through this website I can share the hundreds of hours of research I have done since being diagnosed.
I welcome corporate or private sponsors to make donations to my cause, all monies go towards assembling education bags that contain literature and pamphlets, sun screen samples and other tools that can teach the public about being sun smart. I attend various events out within the public, settings such as nursing school classes to tell my story and to hand out education bags teaching these young minds about the dangers of tanning and how to protect themselves from melanoma. Creating awareness to how deadly skin cancer really can be. And if I save just one life, all my efforts will have served my purpose.
My goal is to save many lives by education and awareness. I would love to have your support, please join my cause and contact me at JaneCaddell@OperationSunShield.org
Sincerely,
Jane Caddell
"Let there be hope"