Biopsy Results, Another Surgery, and Moving Forward

My three dermatology biopsy results are back. Thankfully, two were benign, but the lesion on my right shoulder/back was confirmed as invasive melanoma. This may be the original source of the melanoma already found in my neck lymph node, although oncology still needs to confirm that.

This is especially emotional because I first sought medical attention for this painful, growing lesion in February 2025, when it was assessed as benign. Finding out it's melanoma now has brought up a lot of frustration, sadness, and difficult questions.

Dermatology is referring me to surgical oncology to remove the melanoma, and we'll learn how that fits into my planned immunotherapy and lymph-node surgery. My brain MRI is scheduled for Monday, October 12, at 1:15 PM, to help complete staging.

Things are slowly moving along, and I'm grateful for the progress, even when the news is difficult. Treatment, recovery, and managing our family's daily needs remain my priorities. Every bit of kindness, practical help, and support makes navigating this a little easier.

Thank you for being here with us. 💜