COMING UP FOR 1 MONTH (NO PHOTOS!)

Hi

Tuesday will be the 4 week anniversary since my operation to remove the MM and have the SKIN GRAFT and the SNB

A 4 week relfection.

• From referal from GP to MM clinic to now = less than 3 months.
• If i had not scrapped the mole in the shower and causally asked the GP to look at it at an appointment for BP then i wonder how long it would have been before I had taken it seriously.
• St Georges I find can not be faulted on the care they provide. I was kept informed all the time time as to what was going to happen, the complications, worse case scenarios and ongoing care etc.
• Saskia and Carol, the MacMillan nurses at St Georges are amazing and definately 2 people you want on your side. just to hear Saskia say "peter... its normal" was exactly what i wanted to hear.
• When you have an appointment have the questions written down and ask them all. doesnt matter how silly you think a question is, they will answer anything you have to ask and dont leave the appointment until you are happy with the replies, dont remember the question you forgot to ask them on your way home.
• Surround yourself with people who know you and people who care about you. I had my parents stay for near 4 weeks and it was a god send. Putting aside the fact mum is a great cook and dad a great handyman, i could not have asked for better carers. Also getting a load of get-well-soon cards from people really keeps you positive. Being online here is also great for positiveness.
• Be patient, the healing process takes time. This was a hard lesson to learn... i wanted to be back at work a week after the op... well that was never going to happen. I am just lucky I have a job to go back to that has never put pressure on me to return too early and to get back into my ob steadily.
• something that has been on my mind for the last week... having read here and on facebook about what other people have gone through. i almost feel my MM cut out and patched up seems to be insignificant to other peoples traumas. I guess MM is MM and thank goodness the SNB came back negative, but i think i am not going to complacent about it not returning. I am learning to use mirrors to see around the back of my body for tell tale signs etc. I think the whole experience has made me more vigilant about my own body and to really take the time to check it. Before this all happened, and even at the results clinic of the mole biopsy, i still thought that cancer happens to other people. Now i want to shake all this pale skinned, blue eyes gingers like me that however much they try they are never going brown!

I have an appointment at the plastics dressing clinic on Monday and they are going to try and sort out the over granulation with some silver nitrate or something similar. They will also check the going to make sure all the infection i had has gone. The Skin graft doner site has pretty much cleared now. I will take photos on Monday and post them here. I am thinking about calling the local rags to see if they would like to do a piece on MM/GP 2 week rule/ST Georges etc etc Maybe as a warning just before summer comes?

Am i missing anything here?

Best wishes to everyone, patients and carers.

Peter