Hello, my name is Karissa Gingell.
I was first diagnosed with melanoma in 2021, and that’s when my fight began. After completing treatment, I was fortunate enough to be in remission for four years. However, as many of you may know, recurrence often occurs within the first five years.
In June of 2024, I began experiencing severe back pain that led me to urgent care, where I learned that my cancer had metastasized. It had spread to my liver and lungs. Sitting alone in urgent care, I knew that the road ahead would be a challenging one. A PET scan revealed that my cancer had spread throughout my body, with nodules appearing on my head and cancer present in my bones, which was causing the back pain. My T8 vertebra was fractured due to a tumor that had settled there.
I immediately began a treatment regimen of double immunotherapy and CyberKnife radiation. By December, I received the news that, by the grace of God, my cancer is not currently active. However, I am still undergoing immunotherapy, having completed four rounds of Yervoy and continuing with Opdivo.
Melanoma is a relentless and unpredictable disease, but I am determined to beat it once again. My message to others facing similar battles is simple: Never give up, and keep fighting.
