Having been diagnosed with melanoma back in November last year, I have since been to theatre twice. The first time was 24/12/10 as a day case to have the majority of the cancer removed and then I had to go back on 14/01/11 to have the rest of the surgery completed. It was done in two parts due to it being close to Christmas.
The surgery was more extensive than I had expected. The melanoma which was greater than 10mm was removed and then a further 3cm of good skin was removed from around where the melanoma had been. Due to the amount of skin removed it meant I had to have a Radical Free Forearm Flap which was used to cover the hole in my foot and then a partial skin graft to cover the hole in my arm.
I had to spend 10 days in hospital, the 1st night in ITU which is standard practice when you have a flap. The 1st 5 days I spent with my arm in a Bradford sling, a catheter insitu and drips attatched to my other arm. I was so uncomfortable as I was hardly able to move, the morphine made me itch and in the early hours of the 3rd day I began feeling really ill and wretching. My consultant became concerned thinking that maybe I was getting a chest infection. As it happened after feeling ill for about 11 hours, I suddenly began to feel better.
On day 5 my catheter was removed, I was mobilised by the physio with the aid of a gutter frame and the dressing to my arm was changed and I no longer had to keep it up in a sling........Bliss!
I was quite surprised and alarmed by the site of both my foot and arm. My foot was really swollen and there was a large cut on the top of it that I hadn't been expecting. My arm shocked me more so as I could see all my ligaments, but the nurse reassured me it will look better in time. My thigh stayed covered for two weeks, but when the dressing was removed it revealed a large red patch.
It has now been 5 weeks since my surgery, my wounds are healing well, but I am not yet able to walk without the frame as I am only allowed to partially weight bear. Due to the fact the flap is on the weight bearing part of my foot, my stitches are still insitu......They are due to come out on Thursday. I saw my consultant 2 weeks ago who told me that the melanoma was larger than they expected and that there were other cancerous neoplasms around it, but that he had got it all out. I have no signs of it having spread so as far as he knows, I am now cancer free.
I am now thinking about joining the Avasin trial as I am at high risk of the melanoma returning as it was at a very advanced stage. All in all I am doing ok. I am bored and frustrated at not being able to do much but very thankful that at this moment in time to my knowledge I no longer have cancer.
