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Ocular Melanoma Support Group Members' Personal Experiences Please share your personal experience associated with an ocular melanoma by sending your story to: For privacy reasons, no individual names will be listed, or names of doctors, hospitals, and/or treatment centers. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ When I was out for a walk one night in September of 1991, I noticed that my neighbor’s yard light “disappeared” at one point in my vision. An examination by my ophthalmologist didn’t reveal anything unusual. He gave me a field of vision test, which showed “blind spots” in both eyes in the same location. He sent me to a neurologist, who didn’t find anything abnormal. The neurologist referred me to another ophthalmologist, who was able to see evidence of a tumor in my right eye - but he wasn’t sure of what it was, because he had never seen one before. He arranged an appointment for me at a leading Midwestern hospital with a specialized retina treatment center. They diagnosed a small-to-medium sized ocular melanoma that happened to be located in a spot that lined up with the normal blind spot (where the optic nerve is attached to the retina) in my other eye – hence the field of vision test results. My tumor was still small enough to be radiated, but I was told that it was so close to the optic nerve that I would probably loose the sight in that eye anyway. The tumor was also growing rapidly, so I opted for enucleation. My right eye was removed on December 16, 1991. Three days later I was driving. A week later I had my first prosthesis. I enjoyed Christmas with the family and went back to work after New Year’s. Life quickly returned to normal. Initial lab tests indicated that the cancer in my eye had not spread. Every six months I had the lab work done, along with examinations by my regular doctor and a retina specialist affiliated with the hospital that performed my enucleation. Almost fourteen years have passed, and no other cancer has shown up. Now I have the tests and examinations once a year. There are very few things that I have not been able to do with one eye. Catching a fast baseball is a bit of a problem, but at age 63 I don’t play too much baseball anymore – just “catch” with my grandsons. But my game of pool has actually improved, because it’s a lot easier to line up shots with one eye! Most days I forget that I have only one eye. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ My story as to how I discovered I had Ocular Melanoma is a little unique. Since I did not start wearing glasses until my 40's I made a point of having my eyes examined every year by an ophthalmologist, whether I was experiencing any problems or not.. My doctor discovered the tumor during my annual checkup in 1993. He then referred me to a facility in Chicago, which is close to where I live and was in the midst of an in-depth study of this particular diagnosis. My tumor was found to be a small to mid-size and I was offered the choices of enucleation or radiation. After many questions, research and extensive soul-searching I decided on radiation. Within six weeks of my diagnosis we proceeded with the radiation treatment, which went very well. I was also blessed with retaining my vision as it was before the procedure. We accredit this gift to both the medical fact that the tumor was in the corner, close to my nose and farthest away from the optic nerve, and my strong belief in the power of prayer. In December 2005 it will be 12 years since my original
diagnosis, and I continue to be blessed. I
continue with the semi-annual doctor visits for both the blood work and chest
x-ray as well as eye checkups. In
addition I make sure I have my annual mammogram, skin cancer screening with the
dermatologist, and regular physical and dental checkups as well.
I have had a cataract removed - a side effect of the radiation treatment
- and I am now being treated for glaucoma, which is also a side effect.
I see a glaucoma specialist and a retina specialist on a regular basis
for monitoring and treatment. Needless
to say, during the past 12 years I have been on and off the emotional cancer
roller coaster. PMS is nothing
compared to the semi-annual visits to the oncologist!
I am blessed with a very supportive, loving husband, five wonderful sons
and their families, and extended family and friends. Without them it would have been extremely difficult to cope.
The word “cancer” still puts a knot in my stomach but with so much to
be positive about I try to keep it in the back of my mind. Since my diagnosis I have also been continuously active
with this support group. It has
been so rewarding for me to meet with the special people of our support group.
We discuss our situations, our concerns, share our knowledge, and
appreciate our triumphs. We laugh together and sometimes we may cry, but we are always
striving to help each other. As we
all know one of our goals should be preparing ourselves to move on, and I have,
but I have also chosen to continue on a regular basis with the support group in
the hope that my experiences and support will be of benefit to a newly diagnosed
patient. I have been blessed during this time to see all of my children marry, to enjoy the arrival of ten grandchildren and share in their many activities, to travel and stay active. I continue to work full time, however retirement is my next goal! Work is interfering with my grandparenting! Maybe we’ll also be able to do some traveling and see more of this wonderful country we live in. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ |