Hi ...

beXsie · Regular Joined: 26 Aug 2009 Posts: 12

Hi,

My name is Rebecca and I'm a 28 year old currently living in Victoria, Australia. Last monday i had a lesion removed from my back and although the doctor told me i had nothing to worry about ... on thursday (last week) my world was turned upsidedown as it was infact a Melanoma Sad

So that afternoon i went to see a Surgical Oncologist and after examining my body he sent me off to get an MRI and a PET/CT scan. I have now had the MRI scan and will have the PET/CT scan in the coming days ...

I don't know anyone that has had a Melanoma and my surgeon did say that reading things on the net would freak me out - so try not to do so but this waiting game is killing me Sad

so i thought i would find people that are going through similar if not the same to talk to as friends and family don't really understand my fears and believe me ... i'm scared shitless as i have a 7 year old lil girl that i wanna be around for Sad

Deklon · New User Joined: 10 Jun 2009 Posts: 7

Rebecca, so sorry to hear you have Melanoma. If you have the info, please let us know a few things.

Did they remove a wide area ar just take part of it?

If they took a wide are, do you have the depth and other important factors like ulceration, mitosis, regression etc?

The more info, the better we can help.

Til then, like me, you may be completely melanoma free after having the original spot removed. So hang in there.

D

beXsie · Regular Joined: 26 Aug 2009 Posts: 12

Well see it all started off with a mole and then when drying my back one day i noticed it was bleeding (i'd cut it open), and then a few days later .. it was growing and then a fortnight later it was like a 20 cent piece!

The GP i went to shaved it off my back and the surgeon didn't say exactly how deep or wide he is going to have to do the surgery, i guess i will know more come monday when i get all the results back from the MRI and PET/CT scan :S

georgie430 · Regular Joined: 02 Jul 2009 Posts: 44

Hi Bexie

Glad you have gon for all of your scans. How big is a twenty cent piece??
I live in the US. Also if you want to know about Your mole and how the
prognosis looks, I would call the Dr's office that actually told you the biop came back positive for melanoma, and ask them for pathology report. How deep the mole was is really much more important then diameter on top of the skin.

If you cant pick it up then just ask them to read off the characteristics of
your mole. I hope I remember all but how deep it is, if it was ulcerated
or not, if there was regression, and if mitosis was on there.

Bexie these will and are important, hopefully everything else comes back
negative, your patology report is still important and many on this forum
can help you fiqure it out

with good intentions,
Denise
_________________
"going thru these very rough times have made
me WAKE UP, I know this sounds cliche, but
don't want to go back to sleep" !!!

beXsie · Regular Joined: 26 Aug 2009 Posts: 12

Well, today is the day i'll find out just how bad things are. I had my PET scan on Friday and i see my Surgical Oncologist this afternoon at 3pm to get the 'staging' results of my cancer and to find out what i'm in store for .. in the coming months!

I feel so sick in the stomach and its all i've been able to think about these last few days and i've kept myself from socialising with anyone as im sick of hearing 'you'll be fine and have nothing to worry about' ... Sad

when the truth is ... I HAVE THE WORST KIND OF MELANOMA CANCER!

HaoleBoy · Senior User Joined: 19 Aug 2008 Posts: 108

Bexsie, do let us know what the doctor said.... the fear and anxiety you feel is completely normal -- and bit of deja vu for myself since I only just recently passed my one year anniversary of No Evidence of Disease after my Wide Local Excision and Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy....

Sending you prayer, blessings and Aloha from Hawaii, USA

Haole Boy (aka Hawaii Bob on other boards and forums)

beXsie · Regular Joined: 26 Aug 2009 Posts: 12

Well, i have just got back from spending pretty much all day at the hospital in what i thought was just handing in my forms, but included seeing the anaesthetist, a nurse and then organising the 'hospital in the home' side of things prior to the surgery due to being in Warfarin (which makes things more difficult/complex)!

The consultation with my Surgical Oncologist didnt really tell me much Sad

except that at this stage it hasn't (fingers crossed) gone to any organs ... and looks as if its reached the lymph nodes in both arms. Otherwise he just told me about the next step which is the WLE (Wide Local Excision) and SNB (Sentinel Node Biopsy) - in which i'm due to have next thursday!

I'm so drained and there is still so much more to go through! Sad

Congrats on your one year anniversary of no disease Smile

Haole Boy ~ must be such a relief and may you never have to deal with it again!!! Thank you for the prayers!!

LucyM · Experienced user Joined: 06 Jul 2009 Posts: 51

Bexsie - I am so sorry to hear your news. It's hard to take in such a sudden change to your situation and the thought of treatments and so on.

Do you have family and friends around to help you out with your daughter, while you are having your treatment?
I'm a single mum so I understand how you want to be around for her.

I'm glad the scans picked up no distant points. They might remove the nodes under your arms if the SNB comes back positive, just to be safe.

Thinking of you and wish I could take some of your worries away.

Lucy x

beXsie · Regular Joined: 26 Aug 2009 Posts: 12

Hi Lucy,

Ow it certainly is and even now two weeks on its still kinda hard to get my head around but i've just gotta keep my mind busy and hopefully it will be fine, however i'm so drained .... Sad

Yeah my mum and dad will be looking after my daughter whilst i'm in Hospital, she is alittle out of sorts at the moment which kind of sucks as i don't wanna leave her but i know i have to inorder to beat this ... and whats 2 days right :S

The surgeon did mention that there may be a need to have another lot of surgery if there is a positive test of cancer in what will be removed in the WLE and SNB ~ its take a week to get those results back as well so more waiting Sad

... i have my fingers crossed though that i won't be needing more surgery!

Thanks ... and its really been good coming on here and chatting about what im going through as i don't really have that elsewhere!!

beXsie · Regular Joined: 26 Aug 2009 Posts: 12

Well i have my Sentinel Node Injection scheduled for today around lunch and scheduled for my surgery (WLE & SNB) tomorrow morning and no matter how much i try and block it out i become more physically sick and starting to freak out alittle.

I havent told alot of my friends as i want as little fuss as possible whilst i go through this process and get through to the next stage of trying to combat this! ... but it also sucks that i'm doing this all alone Sad

HaoleBoy · Senior User Joined: 19 Aug 2008 Posts: 108

Bexsie,

I know about the pre-surgery jitters.... Even though I live in Hawaii, I returned to St Louis (in the American Midwest) because my original hometown has a National Cancer Institute designated Comprehensive Cancer Center and specialists in melanoma and surgical oncology which Hawaii lacks....Anyway, my religious Minister -- who knew me before I ever moved to Hawaii 18 years ago -- accompanied me into pre-op and was a great source of peace and comfort to me...

Bexsie, take some heart that the WLE and SNB procedures are pretty straight forward surgical procedures -- really nothing fancy at all about it.... and 85 % of all Sentinel Node Biopsies come back negative....

I had a toe amputated in my WLE (wide local excision) and went off pain meds after about 10 days .... On that note, be sure to use the pain meds they give you after you're released and DON'T try to be heroic about things and not use them -- ..... Frankly, I've had kidney stones which were alot more painful than my WLE and SNB ..... BUT I used the pain meds (oxycodone in my case) and never let the pain break through .... I happen to believe people heal up a lot faster when their bodies are not stressed by pain ......

God is with You Bexsie,

Prayers, Blessings and Aloha,

Haole Boy (aka Hawaii Bob)

LucyM · Experienced user Joined: 06 Jul 2009 Posts: 51

Hi Bexsie,

I hope it went Ok yesterday, and you are feeling better soon.

Thinking of you

Lucy

Mimze · New User Joined: 21 Apr 2009 Posts: 8

Hi beXsie,

Just want you to know that my prayers are with you. I'm seeing my medical oncologist next week for my upcoming year checkup. I don't think the jitters ever leave you, I'm already feeling them!!! As Haoleboy mentioned take the pain medication, let your body and mind rest and your body will take care of itself. As my Father said in this day and age nobody should be in pain! You take care of yourself, thank god for your Mom and Dad that they can look after your little girl, and God bless all of you.

Mimze

brainman · Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2009 2:08 pm Post subject: Re: Hi ...

Hi beXsie and everyone else. I agree with Mimze. Even if I am an 16+ year survivor, I still get anxious before my 8-9 month MRI. It gets worse as the test date approaches. I try to remain positive, but that is hard to do. Be assured that you are not alone.
_________________
Jim
Administrator and long-term cancer survivor
1992 Astrocytoma grade 2, left motor strip
2005 Recurrence this time said to be an Oligodendroglioma grade 3, same location.
http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=2405
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beXsie · Regular Joined: 26 Aug 2009 Posts: 12

Well I'm out of hospital 4 days after having my WLE and SNB done last thursday! My surgeon said that he is happy how things went and he took out 5 sentinel nodes from my right arm and is waiting for those results to see where we go from here .. i really really hope it hasn't spread any further and i can move onto the next stage of the process and not require any more surgery!!

I'm in soooooooo much pain Sad

as the excision on my back is quite big (and was deep) and the wound under my arm is constantly causing pain up my right side .. its hard to sleep etc! I'm still a patient in the HITH program with a nurse coming daily as my case is alittle more complicated with my blood disorders etc .. I'm just generally struggling with things Sad

Thank you to Lucy, Mimze & Brainman for your support and prayers! x

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