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Timeline
May
2013
Bleeding mole on left shoulder was noticed by my sister
Jun
2013
Mole was removed and found to be Melanoma stage 2b
Sep
2013
Further excision taken to check no spread of Melanoma into surrounding tissue or Lymph. No spread found but warned it could be into bloodstream and undetectable
Sep
2015
Moved to New Zealand
Oct
2017
Gave birth to Ruby
Oct
2020
4 tumours found embedded in heart muscles. MRI, CT, PET scans showed no other cancers anywhere in my body
Nov
2020
Heart Biopsy - inconclusive findings from samples
Mar
2021
Papworth Hospital (UK) analysis showed unlikely to be melanoma spread but more likely than anything else. Found to have BRAF mutation so treated as stage 4 melanoma
Apr
2021
Start Immunotherapy (Keytruda) every 6 weeks
Dec
2021
Immunotherapy found to be ineffective, cancer progressing and 5th tumour found also in heart
Jan
2022
BRAF inhibitor drugs started (Dabrafenib and Trametinib). Unfunded in New Zealand
Apr
2022
Tumours found to have shrunk by 30-40%
across all 5 lumps
Jun
2022
Further shrinkage of all tumours
Oct
2022
Slight shrinkage in all tumours, holding stable
Jan
2023
Further slight shrinkage to all tumours. One is almost too small to see on an MRI without dye.
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