› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Newly Diagnosed
- This topic has 18 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 9 years, 1 month ago by
jdm22.
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- January 24, 2017 at 7:52 pm
I am new here, and to say nervous/scared is def an understatement. I received a phone call while out of town on business that my report came back from a spot on my wrist I had checked last week. I have had this same place examined 2 years ago, but was told no reason to do anything to it even despite my concern. Now they have done a biopsy this time and was told on the phone it was melanoma and need to schedule surgery to reomve immediately. I have surgery tomorrow to remove…lesion is 1cm across, but guessing I won't know detials/depth/staging until after the surgery tomorrow and testing after that? I made the mistake of googling after the phone call and wow was that a mistake. I have three young daughters and a wife who is terrified. Needless to say I understand their feelings. Trying to maintain a level of "oh I am sure it will be fine" but that is difficult when you are coaching, playing, and spending time with your little girls. Hoping for a best case report, but the time I have had the spot makes me terrified of what they will say. Thanks ahead of time to all of you out there that have walked in my shoes before, and prayers for those who are currently walking this same journey as I.
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- January 24, 2017 at 9:39 pm
The depth would already be known – depending on the type of biopsy. Was the biopsy "shaved" or "scooped" or was it cut out and stitched? Either way, the pathology report that stated this was melanoma will tell you the information you need. Get a copy of that. The WLE (next surgery) is just to make sure extra cells are gone and you have wide margins. It rarely contributes much to the diagnosis or depth unless the first biopsy was inadequate. Take a deep breath until you know more. One thing, if they are scheduling the surgery so quickly, the most likely option is: he lesion is very thin and early stage and only a WLE (wide local excision) is warranted. However, BEFORE you have this surgery, you need to know the depth found in the biopsy. You do not want this surgery done first if the lesion is deeper than 1mm. You should see an oncologist surgeon so they could do a sentinel node biopsy. The node biopsy has to happen first so this is why you need to make sure that the lesion doesn't warrant it first and your doctor is just rushing things. It's happened this way before which is why I bring this up. Most docs follow the protocols but some don't so it is worth questioning first.
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- January 25, 2017 at 3:46 am
I was recently diagnosed with melanoma in situ and had a WLE 2 weeks ago. I also saw a dermatologist a year and a half ago regarding a suspicious mole and was told "moles can get darker as you age, nothing to worry about" thank god I went back and asked them to take it off bc it was, in fact, melanoma. I am 33 and a mother of 2 under 2 and it scares me to think about what could have happened if I listened to that doctor. Good luck to you
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- January 25, 2017 at 3:46 am
I was recently diagnosed with melanoma in situ and had a WLE 2 weeks ago. I also saw a dermatologist a year and a half ago regarding a suspicious mole and was told "moles can get darker as you age, nothing to worry about" thank god I went back and asked them to take it off bc it was, in fact, melanoma. I am 33 and a mother of 2 under 2 and it scares me to think about what could have happened if I listened to that doctor. Good luck to you
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- January 25, 2017 at 3:29 pm
How did your WLE go? I am glad you went back for another opinion for sure, and hope things are going well with recovery. Was everything good news on your margins and tests from the WLE? Where was the spot, and how large was the incision for the WLE? not to pepper you with questions, just really trying to get as much info as possible from other people instead of the "terrifyingly vague" internet posts I normally see.
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- January 25, 2017 at 3:29 pm
How did your WLE go? I am glad you went back for another opinion for sure, and hope things are going well with recovery. Was everything good news on your margins and tests from the WLE? Where was the spot, and how large was the incision for the WLE? not to pepper you with questions, just really trying to get as much info as possible from other people instead of the "terrifyingly vague" internet posts I normally see.
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- January 25, 2017 at 3:29 pm
How did your WLE go? I am glad you went back for another opinion for sure, and hope things are going well with recovery. Was everything good news on your margins and tests from the WLE? Where was the spot, and how large was the incision for the WLE? not to pepper you with questions, just really trying to get as much info as possible from other people instead of the "terrifyingly vague" internet posts I normally see.
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- January 25, 2017 at 3:46 am
I was recently diagnosed with melanoma in situ and had a WLE 2 weeks ago. I also saw a dermatologist a year and a half ago regarding a suspicious mole and was told "moles can get darker as you age, nothing to worry about" thank god I went back and asked them to take it off bc it was, in fact, melanoma. I am 33 and a mother of 2 under 2 and it scares me to think about what could have happened if I listened to that doctor. Good luck to you
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- January 25, 2017 at 3:35 pm
Spoke with the Dr this morning and was told it seems to be very early stage and he would classify it between situ and stage 1…very confident that the procedure today will take care of it and then of course 3 month visits and close monitoring. Did state that obviously results of testing from the WLE "could" change the status, but does not expect that. Cautiously optimistic going into today
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- January 25, 2017 at 3:35 pm
Spoke with the Dr this morning and was told it seems to be very early stage and he would classify it between situ and stage 1…very confident that the procedure today will take care of it and then of course 3 month visits and close monitoring. Did state that obviously results of testing from the WLE "could" change the status, but does not expect that. Cautiously optimistic going into today
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- January 25, 2017 at 3:35 pm
Spoke with the Dr this morning and was told it seems to be very early stage and he would classify it between situ and stage 1…very confident that the procedure today will take care of it and then of course 3 month visits and close monitoring. Did state that obviously results of testing from the WLE "could" change the status, but does not expect that. Cautiously optimistic going into today
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- January 24, 2017 at 9:39 pm
The depth would already be known – depending on the type of biopsy. Was the biopsy "shaved" or "scooped" or was it cut out and stitched? Either way, the pathology report that stated this was melanoma will tell you the information you need. Get a copy of that. The WLE (next surgery) is just to make sure extra cells are gone and you have wide margins. It rarely contributes much to the diagnosis or depth unless the first biopsy was inadequate. Take a deep breath until you know more. One thing, if they are scheduling the surgery so quickly, the most likely option is: he lesion is very thin and early stage and only a WLE (wide local excision) is warranted. However, BEFORE you have this surgery, you need to know the depth found in the biopsy. You do not want this surgery done first if the lesion is deeper than 1mm. You should see an oncologist surgeon so they could do a sentinel node biopsy. The node biopsy has to happen first so this is why you need to make sure that the lesion doesn't warrant it first and your doctor is just rushing things. It's happened this way before which is why I bring this up. Most docs follow the protocols but some don't so it is worth questioning first.
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- January 24, 2017 at 9:39 pm
The depth would already be known – depending on the type of biopsy. Was the biopsy "shaved" or "scooped" or was it cut out and stitched? Either way, the pathology report that stated this was melanoma will tell you the information you need. Get a copy of that. The WLE (next surgery) is just to make sure extra cells are gone and you have wide margins. It rarely contributes much to the diagnosis or depth unless the first biopsy was inadequate. Take a deep breath until you know more. One thing, if they are scheduling the surgery so quickly, the most likely option is: he lesion is very thin and early stage and only a WLE (wide local excision) is warranted. However, BEFORE you have this surgery, you need to know the depth found in the biopsy. You do not want this surgery done first if the lesion is deeper than 1mm. You should see an oncologist surgeon so they could do a sentinel node biopsy. The node biopsy has to happen first so this is why you need to make sure that the lesion doesn't warrant it first and your doctor is just rushing things. It's happened this way before which is why I bring this up. Most docs follow the protocols but some don't so it is worth questioning first.
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- January 30, 2017 at 3:46 pm
Got the results back from the excision…depth margin showed no trace which is great! Periphery margin tested positive so back from an additional margin and excision tomorrow. Hoping the large scope does not complicate the healing of the incison, but we shall see. Thanks for the encouragement from everyone on here so far…looking for a good report after this one and hopefully it is the last one needed
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- January 30, 2017 at 3:46 pm
Got the results back from the excision…depth margin showed no trace which is great! Periphery margin tested positive so back from an additional margin and excision tomorrow. Hoping the large scope does not complicate the healing of the incison, but we shall see. Thanks for the encouragement from everyone on here so far…looking for a good report after this one and hopefully it is the last one needed
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- January 30, 2017 at 3:46 pm
Got the results back from the excision…depth margin showed no trace which is great! Periphery margin tested positive so back from an additional margin and excision tomorrow. Hoping the large scope does not complicate the healing of the incison, but we shall see. Thanks for the encouragement from everyone on here so far…looking for a good report after this one and hopefully it is the last one needed
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