Hi Beebo,

Sorry to hear of your diagnosis, but on the plus side you caught it very early. The wide excision as you were told is just an extra,   extra safety measure. I just got my all clear last week after my wide excision and lymph node biopsy .

I know how you feel when you say it feels like you have been hit by a bus, an emotional rollercoaster. I know how scary it is having cancer but there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Do you have a cancer nurse that you can talk to? I rang mine a couple of time when I needed reassurance and she was a great help. That's what there, there for.

I hope all goes well for you and your little girl.

Jason

Hi Jason,

thank you so much for your reply! 
I feel very lucky that it's so small, my gp and dermatologist have been amazing from the start and for that I'm so grateful. 
 That's amazing news, I bet you're So relieved!

How was the wide excision? I'm sure I'll feel slightly better once that's done then it's just the waiting for the results again but I'm trying to take one day at a time. 
Ive got a nurse, she rang today and is sending me out a pack with her name and all the info on so I'm sure that will help too. 
Thank you so much for replying, hope all is well!

Hi Beebo,

Your welcome and always glad to help, I hope that I can relieve you of any anxiety that you may have about your wide excision. To be honest I wasn't worried about the second excision as I was also having a lymph node biopsy on my neck which I was most worried about.

I now have a bigger scar but a lot less worrting about the cancer returning, so to me that's a very good payoff. As the scar is bigger it's a little more uncomfortable but I can live with that all day long for peace of mind.

Had you been told about your margins? As that will give you a better indication on the size of the scar to expect.

Take care

Jason

Hi,

I totally agree and feel exactly the same about it. I'm a natural worrier and suffer with anxiety but I'm trying to keep on top of that. I asked the nurse as many questions as I could think of on the phone, I asked if I still had cancer and she said no, she sounded very certain but in my I'm still so worried about the next results. She's classed me as non urgent too, I'm taking all these as positives but I'm still so worried. 
The nurse did mention the margins but I've forgotten a lot of what she said, I know it's 0.0?mm she said they've took a lot of healthy tissue away around it already, hopefully the rest of the info will be sent in the post. 
Thank you Jason

Hi Beebo, 

I'm sorry to hear of your diagnosis but you have come to the right place for reassurance. Jason has given you very good advice and I'm sure, being Stage 1a, that the margin taken will be as small as can be (it's dependant on the depth of the melanoma so the more shallow the depth means the smaller the elliptical excision). The WLE is seen as a 'belt & braces' procedure to ensure there are isn't a lone cancer cell that's broken away. In all the WLE results I've heard about it's rare to get a positive result so your nurse is quite correct in saying you are cancer free. 

After your WLE you will be monitored for a short space of time & you will be shown how to check your moles. The good thing is that you will now be more alert to any future changes in any other moles (or any new ones) although it's not that common that someone with a Stage 1 melanoma goes on to get another one.

Good luck with your surgery & results,

Angie (Stage 3 melanoma patient)

Hi Angie,

thank you so much for your reply. The nurse said I'm classed as non urgent now so I'm hoping I still get the appointment through fairly quick. I'm a constant worrier but I'm trying to keep thinking of all the positives, which there seems to be! 
min just worried now that there's still a cell there and if it will spread, I don't even know if it can do that or will stay localised. I'm trying to stay off google as much as possible! 
I'm going to phone my nurse when the letter comes through as I've got more questions for her. She was asking me on the phone if I had any but my mind was just going crazy!

thank you so much for taking the time to write back. 
hope you're well!

Hi Beebo,

How are you doing now, ok I hope. 

Jason

Hi,

thank you for checking in on me. I've got my WLE booked in for Monday at 2:30. Really surprised how quick it came through but very thankful! I've got about 100 questions for when I get there that I hope they can answer just to try and put my mind at rest while I'm waiting for the results. 
how are you getting on?

katie

Hi Katie,

That's great news that your being seen so soon. It was a nightmare for me as everything was on hold due to the Covid epidemic and had to wait 7 months for my WLE. .

Stitches were out after 9 days and results came through a week after that. So very happy not having to wait an eternity for the results.

I'm now 6 weeks post OP and feeling very relieved but still a little sore.

I hope that all goes well for you tomorrow and that your results come back clear.

Jason