Ashley Graver
I’m a wife, mom of two, lifelong exerciser, and healthcare consultant who never expected skin cancer to become such a defining part of my life. I grew up spending summers in the sun – pool days, lake days, beach trips – and like many people, sunscreen was not applied often enough. Further, tanning beds felt “normal” before big events (prom, weddings, vacations). Today, I balance family time, a career, advocating for melanoma awareness, and living fully in the middle of long-term treatment and survivorship. My story is about resilience, faith, science and hope.
My Melanoma Story
I was first diagnosed with melanoma in my 20s (2008). I was told it was stage 0 (melanoma in situ) on my left forearm and was treated with excision alone. I moved on with life, assuming that chapter was closed.
Ten years later, in 2018, I found a tender lump in my armpit. It turned out to be metastatic melanoma in a lymph node—stage III. I had lymph node dissection surgery followed by a year of immunotherapy (Opdivo). Thanks to early detection and new treatment options, I was “no evidence of disease”.
However, in 2024, melanoma returned again. This time as stage IV, with spread to one of my lungs, and suspected spots in my liver and pancreas. I had no symptoms and felt completely healthy in spite of the golf ball size tumor in my lungs. I was treated with combination immunotherapy (Opdivo + Yervoy). Immunotherapy worked on the cancer, but it also permanently stopped my adrenal glands from producing cortisol. That means daily medication, emergency planning, and listening closely to my body. And as of 2025, I am “no evidence of active disease”. I am living proof that modern melanoma treatment is changing outcomes.
What I Want You to Know
• Melanoma is not “just skin cancer.” It can spread internally, even years later, and sometimes without symptoms.
• If you hear “metastatic melanoma,” do not look at published statistics. Treatments today are changing those quickly and dramatically.
• Prevention still matters. Even with medical advances, avoiding damage in the first place is always better.
