Skin Graft

[Sunny2day]

Would like experiences of skin graft & donor site recovery?? My Melanoma was mid thigh, T1b, .94mm, Clark's Level IV. Surgery 23 days ago with a Negative Sentinel Lymph Node & no melanocytic proliferation present ..very lucky. Now dealing with a skin graft of 2.5 cm margin which was deep including removal of subcutaneous fatty tissue.  When will the daily bandage changes end? When can I ride my bicycle? When can I fill my hot tube up again? Sex?  All tips for skin recovery are appreciated.  Drinking plenty of water.  Have never eaten so well..protein & all the great cancer beating foods...appreciate my graft & donor sites need full coverage from sun for 2 years if not lifetime?? Plenty of web sites address the procedure of grafting ..have not found info on recovery after 2 weeks. Tks!  I am a 52 year old female in Sunny Florida in the boat business.

[Catherine Poole]

I had a  skin graft and I believe at least 30 days passed where the healing was adequate to do active things again.  Be careful as you want to avoid an tear or any kind of infection.  Please also discuss with your doctor.
Catherine M. Poole, President/Founder
Melanoma International Foundation
The MIF Website and Forums are designed for educational purposes only and are not engaged in rendering medical advice or professional services. The information provided through this Website should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease. It is not a substitute for professional care. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, you should consult your health care provider.
 

[Abby]

A year ago, I was in a hurry to enjoy summer and get on with swimming, squash, golf, riding on the back of our motorcycle... I bugged my surgeon endlessly lol.
In hindsight, I wish I took it slower. It was well over a month for me. Closer to 2 months, especially for swimming, but my graft was much larger. The risk of infection is quite high and having taken lymph nodes leaves one at more of a slight increased risk for infections.
My advice is to go slow. You will be back at it in no time. Later, once you have healed, you will benefit from being active, as things will continue to heal on the inside better with good health & circulation.  The hot tub needs to be kept clean quite vigilantly, as it is a good breeding ground for bacteria.
As for sex, since you asked... quite honestly we only missed a few weeks. We were careful to find comfortable positions and took extreme efforts to not knock my graft. I am still nervous of getting my ankle knocked under the covers (a year later lol) but that is because I suffer a lot of nerve pain in that leg. With the right attitude, a loving partner is willing to develop a sense of humour and gentleness about the whole ordeal.
Keep thinking positive! You sound like you have a great outlook. Before you know it, you will be back doing all the fabulous things that make life worth living.

[Catherine Poole]

You are so right!  They worried alot about infection with my graft and I know the area where they took the graft from took a very long time to heal as well.  Easy does it!
Catherine M. Poole, President/Founder
Melanoma International Foundation
The MIF Website and Forums are designed for educational purposes only and are not engaged in rendering medical advice or professional services. The information provided through this Website should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease. It is not a substitute for professional care. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, you should consult your health care provider.