My name is Jessica and I am permanently scarred by Melanoma. My scars however are not visible. I haven’t had surgery, I haven’t had chemo or immunotherapy, or radiation. I wasn’t poked and prodded by doctors, but my scars go very deep.
On January 25th, 2016, I received a call at work from my husband that felt like it literally stopped time. I can remember that day like it was yesterday.
He called to tell me that melanoma had been discovered on one of the lymph nodes on his left groin. I won’t get too technical, but what that means is that things were very serious. So we put on our boxing gloves and we prepared for what we knew was going to be the biggest fight of our lives.
Sean’s journey began with surgery in mid-February and after recovering from that, and the complications associated with it, he was on the mend. There was no detectable cancer in his body and as a preventative measure, he started a clinical trial in the attempts to prevent the melanoma from reappearing.
In the meantime, Sean went back to work, and even started playing hockey and golf again. He had a whole new lease on life. We were committed to enjoying life for the precious gift that it is. We were certain that this was simply a huge test for us, and that we had passed with flying colours.
Just as things began to feel normal again, we landed ourselves back in the ER at Sunnybrook with what we thought was a migraine. It ended up being much worse. Sean’s melanoma was back, but this time in his brain!
The summer of 2016 began with brain surgery, followed by radiation and then immunotherapy. Again, things seemed to be improving. Sean regained his strength and maintained his happy go lucky personality. We travelled to the cottage, we laughed, and shared special moments with our daughters, friends and family.
Just as the seasons changed, we were faced with yet another set of challenges. Seizures and loss of sensation in his left arm and hand. The cause: Another tumor in his brain. In late November Sean underwent another surgery; a success! Sean regained the feeling in his hand and maintained a smile on his face.
It wasn’t until late January 2017 that the situation appeared to be taking a nose dive. The tumours in Sean’s brain were appearing quicker than they could be dealt with. Surgery was no longer an option. Radiation was our only hope, but unfortunately, that didn’t work.
On March 29th 2017, my husband took his last breath. He was surrounded by his family. His pain and suffering finally ended, but ours unfortunately did not. This pain is the scar I spoke of earlier. My heart is broken, and will never be whole again.
I came across a blog post not long ago asking readers how they would describe melanoma in one word. Many of the answers were scary, sad, and devastating. I responded to the post and described melanoma and empowering.
I watched my husband empowered post diagnosis. His incredible strength and determination were contagious. He became my hero. With grace and dignity, Sean courageously stood face to face with his mortality. His spirit never wavered.
Sean didn’t lose his battle with melanoma. He may have started a war he couldn’t finish, but I am committed to continuing it.
It is for this reason that I joined the Board of Directors of Melanoma Network of Canada, and why I chair the Cover up for Melanoma Gala Committee. I’m proud to work alongside a wonderful team of staff and volunteers to support other families impacted by melanoma and hope that in the future no family loses a loved one to this disease.
By supporting the Cover Up for Melanoma Secret Garden Gala you are committed to helping me carry on the fight Sean started. Unfortunately there are others like Sean who are no longer with us; there are others battling, and there are others that will be diagnosed with this horrible disease. If we can prevent one patient from going through what Sean went through and if we could prevent one family from feeling the pain that my family had to endure, then we have been successful in our efforts. Please join me and my family at the Cover Up for Melanoma Gala.
