My Melanoma Story
by Karen O'Neill Velasquez
May 7, 2002

In 1996 while on the beach in Santorini Greece, honeymooning, I was putting sunscreen on my face, and I felt a lump. Six years prior I had a melanoma mole removed from my back. I came home to discover that I was a stage IV patient. I had a large tumor in my right jawbone and I had 32 lesions in the lymph system, there were spots on my liver. As many of you hear, they gave me a dismal diagnosis. I had a 9 year old son at the time and a new husband and this just wasn't part of the plan. I remember with such sadness the day I had to tell my sweet son Adam. That is the kind of day that no one should have to experience.

I quickly began to do research. My disease was very advanced and not operable so I needed a systemic approach. My husband helped me come to our conclusion that the IL2/vaccine combo was what we wanted. We did a bunch of homework on statistics and it had and still does have the best statistics for stage IV patients. So I began high dose IL2 and GP100 vaccine. I did 9 rounds, 1 week in the hospital, three weeks home and so on and so on. I write this because many patients are very fearful of IL2, and without doubt it is difficult and the side effects are brutal, but it is something that you can come through....and do well. After nine rounds, everything was gone from my body except for the large tumor in my jaw. The doctors decided to remove my right jaw, that was horrible. I lost my teeth, use of my tongue and all the feeling in my face. It was a time of fear and anxiety. I was so horribly ugly during the reconstruction time, it's hard to talk about it without tears.

Today, 6 years after the stage IV diagnosis....I am alive and doing very well, I have two more childern that we adopted, and I feel healthy. Since the day of my operation on the jaw in 1998 I have been NED. When I celebrated my five year survival last October, I felt an overwhelming sadness for those who have not survived this disease. I pray that if one person reads this story, they will be able to look in the mirror and say "I can do this, I can fight this and win." It's a bit easier to believe that when you actually know someone who is doing well many years down the road. Keep the faith! There can be lots of good life after a stage IV diagnosis!

Karen O'Neill Velasquez