This is Bean... aka Jill Freiermuth.  I was diagnosed with melanoma in February of 2007.  I had surgery to remove the melanoma on my back right calf.  At that time it had not spread to my lymph nodes - so with skin checks every 3 months I was on my  way.  Until January of 2010 I felt a lump in my right groin.  Another surgery and it was melanoma.  After 6 surgeries one taking a fist size portion of my lung, 5 treatments, a round of radiation, a trip to NIH in Bethesda Maryland and countless tests including colonoscopies and endoscopes - I am still here.  I had a major surgery last April that took a tumor out of my duodenum that was the size of a softball 2 years prior.  With 2 years of treatment on Opdivo, it shrunk to the size of a walnut.  Dr Weber took that out and the surgery was a huge success!  I am still in remission with another PET/CT in April.  

Your support with prayers and visits have always given me strength.  I have an amazing support team with me and I will never take that for granted!  Raising money to fight melanoma is one of my strongest passions - so many breakthroughs with current cancer treatments started with breakthroughs in melanoma!!! They took that amazing life saving information and shared it with rest of the cancer community!!  

Let's see what else we can discover with the monies collected from this walk, Dr Albertini at the Carbone Cancer Center is the main man for melanoma in the state!  These donations go to his ground breaking research and helps us ALL - Locally and beyond!!  

Thank you for reading our TEAM BEAN page!  I love these people who walk with me and my family - we always have room for more - so join our team and lets do this!!!  

SWAK!  Sealed with a Kiss.  (My Grandma Kennedy always put this on her letters) <3