‘I had noticed this mole before, but didn’t think anything of it until it started itching. It didn’t look right and I remember thinking I should do something, but I kind of blew it off.?
‘I didn’t have it my whole life. I knew I’d had it for at least a year.?
Then one day while she was at the beach in 1999, Angela (Sights) Guenther’s mother, Mary Jo Sights, saw the mole on her side and said, ‘I don’t like the looks of that.?
Taking mom’s advice, Guenther, a 1995 graduate of Lake Orion High School, went a dermatologist who removed the mole.
‘I got a call a week later that it was malignant,? she said. ‘But they didn’t think it was very deep. They were wrong. We went to the University of Michigan (Hospital) and found out it had spread to my lymph (gland) system.?
Five years later, Guenther, daughter of Oxford Bank’s Vice President of Mortgages Dennis Sights, is still battling malignant metastic melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. The disease continues to rage throughout her body forming painful tumors under her skin and in her muscle tissue, stomach and now her brain.
‘I never feel 100 percent, ever,? she said. ‘There’s days I can barely get out of bed. Even this morning I was late (for this interview) because I had to struggle to get up. . .There’s days I feel really good. There’s days I feel really bad. I never know what I’m waking up to.?
To aid Guenther in her courageous fight for life, two fund-raising benefits are scheduled for Friday, June 18 and Saturday, June 19.
The June 18 fund-raiser is a bowlathon event that will take place from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Collier Lanes in Oxford. Tickets will be available at the door and include bowling, pizza/hot dog, pop and fun extras.
The June 19 event is called ‘Angels for Angela Night at Hoops? and it will take place from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. at Hoops Sports & Spirits in Auburn Hills. Tickets will be available at the door and include dinner, karaoke and fun extras.
Proceeds from both fund-raisers will go toward the ‘Angels for Angela Fund.?
Contributions can be sent directly to the fund set up at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital Credit Union 44555 Woodward Ave., Pontiac, MI 48341.
Guenther’s family and friends are hosting these events to help offset the extremely costly expenses related to her medical treatment and the travel required to receive it.
She recently began undergoing monthly immunotherapy treatments at National Cancer Institute at the National Institute for Health in Bethesda, Maryland.
Immunotherapy is designed to ‘teach your immune system how to fight the disease on its own? by ‘boosting? your white blood cells to high levels, Guenther said. To give people an idea of the cost of such treatment, she said one of her previous immunotherapy injections cost $1,500 each.
‘My husband has great (health) insurance,? but the high cost coupled with the sheer number of bills to see specialists, surgeons and oncologists make it ‘seem like there isn’t any insurance,? she said.
On top of the ‘outrageous,? as she put it, medical bills, there’s now the added cost of transportation, lodging and food associated with the trips to Maryland.
The current form of immunotherapy Guenther is undergoing in Maryland is the third type she’s tried. All of it is experimental and has low chances percentage-wise of success, she explained. ‘They’re all guessing games because there’s no cure for melanoma right now.?
‘There’s no traditional medicine for melanoma,? Guenther said. ‘Chemotheraphy would do nothing for me. There’s no point.?
In addition to the immunotherapy, Guenther has endured in excess of 35 surgical procedures, including the removal of her stomach tumor, and radiation treatments.
Despite it all, Guenther remains ‘pretty optimistic most of the time.?
‘I have a lot of support,? she said.
She said her husband, Michael Guenther, has been ‘unbelievable.? When she was diagnosed with the cancer at age 22, Angela and Michael had been dating for a couple of years.
‘He’s been wonderful, 100 percent supportive,? Guenther said.
She said her mom has been ‘amazing? through all this and her sister, Michelle Straub, has been ‘unbelievably supportive.?
Even as she fights for her own life, Guenther demonstrates her concern for others as she tries to educate people about ways to help avoid developing skin cancer.
‘Most people get melanoma from the sun,? she said. Information being distributed by her family urges people to ‘stay out of the sun when possible? and ‘wear adequate sunscreen (at least SPF 30), even when in slight or short sun.?
Tanning booths are also to be avoided, according to Guenther. ‘A mole exposed to a tanning booth can make the situation worse,? she said.
In Guenther’s case she said she only went to tanning booths for ‘special occasions? and she was ‘out in the sun a lot, but wore sunscreen? because she’s fair-skinned. She said she would lay out at the beach, but noted she wasn’t a regular beach-goer.
Although Guenther said her skin cancer was ‘most likely? caused by the sun, she noted there is a percentage of people who contract it as a result of genetics.
Guenther said her sister recently had a malignant mole removed. ‘They got it very early,? she said. ‘It didn’t spread. She’s fine now.?
Whether it was sun or genetics in her case, Guenther said she isn’t sure.
If a person does have a suspicious mole, they should see a physician immediately.
‘The more everybody else knows about (skin cancer), the better because I didn’t think it would ever happen to me,? Guenther said.