› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Where to begin … ??
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hbecker.
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- September 25, 2012 at 5:31 am
I found a spot on my side near my left breast/bra line that looked like a blood blister. This was about a year ago. I picked at it with tweezers and a lance thinking it would drain and was no big deal. By the time I was done, I had basically removed the "blood blister" (which by then I knew was not a blood blister, obviously). Some time went by before I realized that it had grown back – this time larger. It was 3/4 the size of a pencil eraser. I wasn't immediately concerned and let it sit on the back burner for a while as life took over
I found a spot on my side near my left breast/bra line that looked like a blood blister. This was about a year ago. I picked at it with tweezers and a lance thinking it would drain and was no big deal. By the time I was done, I had basically removed the "blood blister" (which by then I knew was not a blood blister, obviously). Some time went by before I realized that it had grown back – this time larger. It was 3/4 the size of a pencil eraser. I wasn't immediately concerned and let it sit on the back burner for a while as life took over. About a month ago, I finally got around to scheduling an appointment with my dermatologist. Her first available appointment was last Tuesday, September 18. On Friday, September 24, I got the results. Melanoma – 0.42 depth – not the best news, but certainly could have been worse! I am scheduled to have it removed next Monday, October 1, unless they have a cancellation this week. I have so many questions and very little information. First and foremost – how can they know that the depth is 0.42 when the dr. took a shave biopsy. I have observed two spots (my husband calls them "roots") in the remaining tissue/scab area that are dark/black and coincide with the location of the original "blood blister" and the first area where it reappeared. If there is still melanoma remaining, is there any way to find out the actual true depth of the original melanoma? Does it matter? Does that make a difference in treatment? Next question: My dermatologist told me that she would excise a 1 cm area around the melanoma. Is that 1 cm radius from the central point or from the edge or 1 cm total width? I'm wondering how big the incision will be and what to expect as far as recovery/scarring. Third question: What are the chances that they will find more melanoma under the surface that was not removed by the initial shave biopsy. I spoke with the nurse today and she said that the normal shave/scraping removes the tumor and the excision is just to be sure that there is no further growth. This seems questionable to me though because I can still see those two dark spots I mentioned already – the "roots". Fourth question: How likely is it that a second (or third or fourth) surgery will be performed to remove additional tissue. Both my brother and a friend had to return for additional/second surgeries. When I spoke to the nurse, she seemed to believe that a second procedure would be very unlikely. Now I'm uncertain what to expect. Question five: Will the first surgery involve removal and testing of lymph nodes based upon the 0.42 reported depth or is that unlikely? Six: How is the pain? Is ibuprofen/acetominophen effective at managing it or would it be a good idea to ask for something stronger than OTC? Seventh and final question: I bruise terribly and make really unattractive scars. Would that have anything to do with the melanoma or are the two unrelated? I have worried for some time about the bruising especially. I will wake up with multiple bruises with no idea where they came from. It just makes me think something more could be going on here. Well, ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much for reading this long laundry list of questions and for any advice you can share. I felt confident that everything was fine when she first told me my diagnosis, but over the weekend, I have started to feel very uneasy … I can't explain it. I just have a bad feeling about all this. Any advice for me??
P.S. My brother has had a serious melanoma removed with no further treatment required. My uncle died from melanoma. My mom thinks that my dad has had a few melanomas removed from his ears but she is not certain if they were melanomas or squamous cell carcinoma. Pretty strong family history … 🙁
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- September 27, 2012 at 5:20 pm
Sorry to hear of your illness. You've posed a lot of good questions – and unfortunately I can't answer them all. You need to get answers from your doctors – what surgery are they planning to do? Will they do a wide local excision (it sounds like it but I can't tell) and a sentinel node biopsy? Or just the excision?
I hope you have spent the last couple of days educating yourself. There is lots of good information on this site, and on http://www.aimatmelanoma.org. Read about diagnosing and staging melanomas to find out what procedures are and what information they need. It's possible some of the answers you are seeking can be found in the pathology report from the shave biopsy, so you'll want to get a copy of that.
Have you seen a melanoma specialist? An oncologist? They will be instrumental in staging your melanoma and helping you come up with the proper treatment in your case. Remember that they are working for you. If they can't answer your questions, or aren't answering them, find someone else who can and will communicate with you in a way you can understand.
The nurse doesn't know, and neither does the doctor, whether you'll have to go back for another surgery – but if you are working with someone who has a lot of melanoma experience, you'll be better off.
I can't tell you about the pain (I'm not the melanoma patient) but I do have a lot of experience with bleeding. Make sure the surgeon knows about your bleeding and healing history. They may want to test you for bleeding disorders, which can be pretreated before surgery if they know about them.
Good luck!
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- September 27, 2012 at 5:20 pm
Sorry to hear of your illness. You've posed a lot of good questions – and unfortunately I can't answer them all. You need to get answers from your doctors – what surgery are they planning to do? Will they do a wide local excision (it sounds like it but I can't tell) and a sentinel node biopsy? Or just the excision?
I hope you have spent the last couple of days educating yourself. There is lots of good information on this site, and on http://www.aimatmelanoma.org. Read about diagnosing and staging melanomas to find out what procedures are and what information they need. It's possible some of the answers you are seeking can be found in the pathology report from the shave biopsy, so you'll want to get a copy of that.
Have you seen a melanoma specialist? An oncologist? They will be instrumental in staging your melanoma and helping you come up with the proper treatment in your case. Remember that they are working for you. If they can't answer your questions, or aren't answering them, find someone else who can and will communicate with you in a way you can understand.
The nurse doesn't know, and neither does the doctor, whether you'll have to go back for another surgery – but if you are working with someone who has a lot of melanoma experience, you'll be better off.
I can't tell you about the pain (I'm not the melanoma patient) but I do have a lot of experience with bleeding. Make sure the surgeon knows about your bleeding and healing history. They may want to test you for bleeding disorders, which can be pretreated before surgery if they know about them.
Good luck!
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- September 27, 2012 at 5:20 pm
Sorry to hear of your illness. You've posed a lot of good questions – and unfortunately I can't answer them all. You need to get answers from your doctors – what surgery are they planning to do? Will they do a wide local excision (it sounds like it but I can't tell) and a sentinel node biopsy? Or just the excision?
I hope you have spent the last couple of days educating yourself. There is lots of good information on this site, and on http://www.aimatmelanoma.org. Read about diagnosing and staging melanomas to find out what procedures are and what information they need. It's possible some of the answers you are seeking can be found in the pathology report from the shave biopsy, so you'll want to get a copy of that.
Have you seen a melanoma specialist? An oncologist? They will be instrumental in staging your melanoma and helping you come up with the proper treatment in your case. Remember that they are working for you. If they can't answer your questions, or aren't answering them, find someone else who can and will communicate with you in a way you can understand.
The nurse doesn't know, and neither does the doctor, whether you'll have to go back for another surgery – but if you are working with someone who has a lot of melanoma experience, you'll be better off.
I can't tell you about the pain (I'm not the melanoma patient) but I do have a lot of experience with bleeding. Make sure the surgeon knows about your bleeding and healing history. They may want to test you for bleeding disorders, which can be pretreated before surgery if they know about them.
Good luck!
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