Hi Angie,

These are a relatively new innovation - they were set up to "deliver a better, personalised diagnostic experience for patients by providing a series of coordinated tests and a single point of contact."

The idea is that rather than going into various hospital departments for different diagnostic tests, scans etc. with weeks long waits between the different parts you get everything done in one day.

I hope things go well for you.

Best wishes

Dave

Thanks Dave, that's helpful. It sounds like a great idea.

I've already had various scans and been waiting since October so perhaps I'm not quite their target patient, but hopefully they will be able to do something with it.

Best, 

AK

Thank you Jolamine and I am sorry to hear what happened with your cancer. It's odd how someone will tell you something then it turns out to be completely not the case, or very different to what you had expected. (I got told mine was a cyst the other day by a secretary on the phone - nope! She had read the report wrong. But my fault for being impatient and asking her to look!)

It must have been very difficult to have it come back. I hope that it's all in the past for you now, do you still need to have follow-up? I've tried to get used to thinking about it as though I do have cancer, over the last few months - well, as much as I can without actually experiencing that, because I'm sure it's very different when it's real - and I suppose I'm getting used to the idea of it a bit, or trying to in case it is. Still I'd almost rather not have any answers, unless they are the reassuring sort...! It can't be helped; I think it'd got to be removed anyway or it'll get slowly bigger and be more difficult to remove. But I do not feel very brave.

Thank you for your kind reassurance, it really helps to hear these things, hopefully you are right and they will know what to do once they are in there as it were.

Thanks again and I will come back and post again when I know more x x

Hi Angie,

I am amazed that a secretary gave you any results over the phone, and even more so that they were the wrong ones.

I suspect that the fear of recurrence is something that anyone with a cancer diagnosis learns to cope with. It was a shock when it recurred so quickly with me, but I’ve come to terms with it now. Yes, I still have an annual check-up at the breast clinic and, can call my breast care nurse any time throughout the year if I need to. From a management position, it is probably best to think that it might be cancer at present. That way you are prepared for the worst and can still hope for the best.

I know that I thought that I was prepared for cancer, but it hit me like a sledge hammer the day that I was given my first diagnosis and, it took quite some time for me to get my head around this news. None of us feel brave. We are all afraid of the unknown – and there are so many unknowns. It is perfectly normal to feel anger, fear, worried for partners, children and parents and, to cry continually. We can experience a whole host of emotions in the space of just one day. This eases a little once you get a diagnosis. Whether it is good or bad, you begin to see a path ahead which is more positive than where you are at present.

I had 3 suspect melanoma last year and the dermatologist advised me to see a plastic surgeon with the one on my face, as it was just under my eye. When I saw him he noticed another lesion on my leg and he did an excision biopsy on both straight away. Fortunately, all three were clear, which he wasn’t expecting to be the case. My face healed beautifully without any grafting, but my ankle took a lot longer, although it didn’t hurt after the first few days. I had to keep the stitches in my leg for 2 weeks by which time they were getting tight and, it was quite a relief to get them out.

It sounds as if you do need to remove the lesion whether it is benign or malignant, so it is not so bad when you know that it needs to be done and, you know that it is not being done unnecessarily, or just to determine from your pathology report what your diagnosis actually is.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Dear Jolamine,

Sorry for the late reply. It's been a week already, I read your reply but got lost in thought and have been trying to prepare myself for what might happen next, so I neglected to write back.

I'm really touched by what you wrote and much of it resonates with what I have been thinking and feeling, and makes a lot of sense. It sounds like you have had a lot of things to handle and yet you seem philosophical and balanced and very calm, even if you don't always feel that way.

I'm relieved for you that the suspected melanomas weren't melanomas after all. My best friend died from it ten years ago, which my mind always goes back to of course. So it is really good that you haven't got to worry about that, on top of the other things.

I think you are wise about how to think and prepare and will try to take your advice, because you really know what you are talking about.

Anyway, now I've said all that, I've had some good news I think. The Marsden doesn't want my tumour. They've looked at the MRI imaging and decided it doesn't look very malignant, and is unlikely to be - though I don't think they were sent the ultrasound, which looked like a big burning Christmas pudding, which made it seem a *bit* more likely to be malignant! - and they said they haven't got the capacity to take out all these small, indeterminate things and basically what was he thinking referring me there. So I'm supposed to have it done here instead, and then if it is malignant, they will have to take me on at that point, they suppose... (I am being silly, I'm very grateful to them in fact - to everyone who has tried to help).

So I hope that is a good sign, because I wasn't sure if they would have reviewed it yet and obviously they have now. I'm cautiously celebrating not having to go to London, anyway - I have got three children and was worried about the logistics of it. Which seems silly when people have much more awful things to worry about.

Anyway thank you so much once again for all your kindness and for sharing your insight. You have helped more than you know. I've got to go and try and look up local MSK surgeons now, will update once things progress - especially if it is good news, I think, because there is nothing nicer than reading stories from people who are doing OK.

Lots of love,

AK

HI Angie,

In the nicest possible way, it is good news that the Marsden don't want you. Even more important than not having to travel back and forth to London, is the knowledge that the Marsden consider it to not to look very malignant - you couldn't get much better news than this.

What ages are your children? I hope that you find a good MSK surgeon soon and get this removed shortly.

Keep in touch.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Thank you; I was tentatively relieved, but now you have said that I feel like I have got permission to be properly glad about it!

I have two teens and a littlish one, and they have some idea what's happening but have still found it difficult because I've been a bit distracted and at times very worried. But I will try to get back to normal as much as I can, now. If it does by any chance come back as malignant, I will come and pester you again I'm sure. 

Meanwhile it has been really good to have your advice and your company. Thank you again for your support, and genuinely all the best for the future. I hope you stay well. 

AK 

Hi Angie,

You have certainly got prmission to be properly glad about it. You are also more than welcome to come back whether it is benign or malignant. You are definitely not pestering me, I am alway here if you need me.

It must be difficult for you with children of these ages, especially when you don't really know the diagnosis yourself. Still, you are better being open with them and letting them discuss their concerns with you. If it does turn out to be malignant, it would also be a good idea to discuss this with the children's teachers.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Thank you, yes I will make sure to do that.

 It will be good to know, one way or another. 

X x

Hi Angie,

I've been avidly reading all your posts as you have exactly what I have! 

I've had this enlarged lymph node in my groin for maybe 6/7 years... I think it started when I noticed a small lesion on my lower thigh.. like a scaly scab. I went to the doctor who gave me some cream (for fungal infection I think?) and said the swollen nymph node could be connected to that. I used the cream for a few weeks but it never went. And there's a tiny scab still there which flares up in the sun. And the lump also remains.

Sometimes I feel a hot sensation in the place where the swollen gland/lump is, which reminds me it's there! I can't really tell if it's moveable put it is a little tender if I really push down on it.

I also have two children and the thought of not catching something life threatening early enough, freaks me out! It's my responsibility as a parent.

I guess I just wanted your thoughts really... doctor's are so busy these days.. I'm scared I'll get palmed off if I go.

Hopefully your troubles are soon resolved :-)

Carla 

Hi Carla,

 I'm sorry you are going through the same kind of anxiety as I was a while ago. I know how it feels and that sense of not being sure if it's worth troubling someone. 
What I would say is that if the scab thing hasn't gone, your GP might want to refer you to have it taken out, just to be sure it's innocent. I don't think you would be wrong to ask for that. Most of these things are just weird skin anomalies but if it's persistent then it's probably worth just having it removed for peace of mind. 
I hope you manage to sort it out. It's amazing how something so small can make such a nuisance of itself in our minds isn't it!

 I was supposed to have my lump removed last year, but everything was cancelled and honestly I haven't really thought about it much, because the MRI suggested it was benign, and it's still the same size. But I wouldn't want to go through those months again when I was so scared about it. 
Best wishes to you and let me know how you get on. 
AK
 

Hi angie just wanted a little update? Did everything turn out ok?

Hi angie just wanted a little update? Did everything turn out ok?