Yvonne.D
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Having only been diagnosed 2 months ago I know how you feel. Every ache, itch, stiffness, new spot/freckle, you think is the dreaded M word that may be back. I read from a lot of sites that it will get better with time. I can’t wait for that time to come! I too have more suspicious ones that I am having biopsied soon. The mind game is brutal. The scars are nothing compared that. Everyone has great advise and I too have lots to learn and love to hear peoples thoughts on how to manage the stress or go a day without thinking about it. Here’s to hoping we will look back at this post in the years to come thinking how silly we were to spend this much time worrying about a recurrence. Done. It did not take 40 minutes like it mentioned. Only took maybe 5 for anyone that is going to do it. Hey Cohanja, My plastic surgeon will be checking my lymph nodes every 3 months.
Also will be checking the incision site for local recurrance.
Hi everyone. I am in Ontario, Canada. I am a 1b. Diagnosed in Dec 2013. WLE clear Jan 2014. I am seeing my dermatologist every 3 months and my surgeon every 3 months as well and will continue to do this for 2 if not 3 years (can’t remember which one they said)then switch to 6 mth intervals then 1 year till I am clear for 5 years.
I am sorry to hear your husband was diagnosed with Melanoma. I was just recently diagnosed as well, so I cannot help you with your questions. I am sure Catherine, however, will post soon with a reply to your questions. She is wonderful, as are many more on this site.
My prayers go out to you both.
Yvonne
I had my WLE results appointment on Wednesday and it was good news. Posted my path report below. Thank you to everyone who answered my questions this past few weeks. I had my full body check up last week to and they want to do 5 more biopsy’s. I talked with my surgeon and she said that instead of my dermatologist doing the them that she will do them from here on in. So I will have 3 biopsy’s done first and then the other 2. In Ontario, our healthcare will only allow them to do 3 at a time apparently.
Catherine, I would be really interested in reading the research on Shave’s over punch’s, if you happen to have a link for it. I have only read of it being the other way, from the studies I saw. Would you happen to have that?
Ultrasound appointment is Tuesday for the results of my lymph nodes. The guy said they just look like lymph nodes so I feel good about Tuesday. The surgeon also checked and she said that they just feel reactive. I am healing nicely now and bruising is almost gone. She took the tape off and you can barely tell it is there. So we are done with this spot and on to the others. Lets hope they are just little dark ugly moles.
Specimen
A. Skin – LT BUTTOCK LESION
CLINICAL HISTORY
MELANOMA
Gross Description
The specimen is received in formalin in one part.
Part A is labelled with patient identifiers only and consists of an ellipse of skin and subcutaneous tissue measuring 3.5 x 2.2 x 2.3cm, in the center of the surface is a wrinkled slightly concave gray tan oval area measuring approximately 1.3 x 1 cm, coming to within 0.4cm of the closet margin. Marker with silver nitrate, serially sectioned and all submitted in blocks A1-A11. Ic
Final diagnosis
A. Skin left buttock, excision:
-Skin with underlying dermal scar and biopsy site changes
-Negative for Residual in Situ or Invasive Melanoma
She got it all in the shave biopsy!
Hi Wendy, Thank you for saying that about the shave biopsy. Your the first person to mention that. Puts my mind to ease. I read my path report and it does’t say that anywhere. Fingers crossed for clear margins on wednesday.
Thanks cohanja as well.
Thank you Catherine for your help and the link. I will contact Dr. Mihm for a second opinion. Greatly appreciated!
Hi Catherine and thank you for your reply. I have not been to a Center of excellence. I live in Wasaga Beach, Ontario, Canada. I googled after I read your post and believe the closest ones would be in Toronto which is only 90 mins away. Is there one that you would recommend so I can get on this and get a second opinion?
If I could pick your brain for a little while that would be so helpful.
I have my wle results next week. Are there any questions that I should be asking? I am currently watching the video on the website “Understanding your melanoma pathology” to get a better understanding.
Would I want a second opinion of my results as well as a different person to view the biopsied skin? If so, do you know how long do they keep the biopsy skin for?
Seeing how they did the shave biopsy, how am I t be sure that I would not be at a different level them what they come back saying? I read that a true depth will not be known now. Is there a certain mm range that they take into account when doing the WLE results?
Sorry for asking these questions. It has been a hard month waiting for the results. My family dr called my surgeons secretary to try and get the results however she won’t release them. I called then and she said the surgeon will go over it with me at my appointent which was 2 week away and have already waited 2 weeks. The surgeon was out of the country and she said that the results are on her desk and if it is urgent she will call you. With the lymph nodes being swollen I called her office first as the surgeon checked them after my WLE and they were fine. The secretary said call my family doctor that she will not see me for that.
I am going to have a good talk with my surgeon about her secretaries phone manner and how I don’t appreciate it. I have been worried about making people angry and not getting the right care but I really need to stop worrying about stepping on toes as I have never been this way before and now is defiantely not the time to start.
Thank you!
