Hi,
I'm hoping some members of this group maybe able to calm my worries.
My 49yr old husband is very moley. He had mole mapping in June, was referred for 2 suspicious moles, was seen within a couple of weeks then had them removed in mid August. One they weren't too worried about but one on his chest was suspected melanoma and 12mm diameter. We were told the results should be back in 2wks but call after 6wk if still not back. The longer it got, the more relaxed I felt. But after 6wks and still no results, I called and left a message with the dermatology department. No one got back to us. I did the same at 7wks. On wk 8 I actually spoke to someone on the phone and said they would call back the same day. They called my husband 10mins later and asked him to go in for an appointment in 8 days time for 'a chat and check his wound'. The same day we received an email with appointment letter attached. I googled the person we are meeting and they are a Macmillan Skin Cancer Nurse.
I am now besides myself with worry. My thought process is a) they wouldn't call him in unless it's bad news b) he's meeting a MacMillan nurse so it's definitely cancer c) it was a large mole that he'd had for a few months, what if its already too late d) why has it taken so long to get results, this has clearly now delayed any treated. Also, added emotional turmoil, that we have to go and get results on our daughter's birthday.
This is something netiher of us has experienced before and he very much buries his head in the sand. I would be very grateful if anyone is able to help me make sense of this exceptionally lengthy process, when i believed everything was meant to done in 2 wk stages as stage 4 melanoma can become deadly in 6 wks. Thank you
Hi Chocandcheese and a very warm welcome to the Macmillan Community but sorry to hear about your husbands ongoing diagnosis. I can understand the challenges, back in 1999 it took over a year and 6 biopsies to find out that I had a rare Skin Lymphoma.
The diagnosis journey can be such a challenging and stressful time but getting support from others who are dealing with the ‘exact same' cancer type and support challenges will help a lot.
The Community is actually divided into dedicated Cancer Specific Support Groups (Discussion Rooms) so can I recommend you join and post in our dedicated Melanoma support group. This is a safe place to talk to others who may have a similar diagnosis, treatment experience, to ask questions and get support from family members who are navigating the same support journey.
To connect with the group click on the “Bold Italic Link” I have created above then once the group page opens click on “Click to Join” when the black banner appears or “Join” under “Group Tools” (this all depends on the device you are using)
You can then put up your own post when you’re ready by clicking “+new” or “+” in the top right next to the group title. You can copy and paste the text from this post into your new post. You can also scroll through other members posts and click “Reply” to get involved.
It is an emotional time supporting family so you might find this Macmillan information your feelings when someone has cancer helpful as well as this link getting help with your emotions.
The Macmillan Support Line is open 8am-8pm (timings may differ across services) 7 days a week on 0808 808 00 00. This service provides cancer information, practical information, emotional support, benefits/financial guidance or just a listening ear. We also have our Ask an Expert section but do allow a few working days for a reply.
Talking to people face to face can be very helpful so do check to see if you have any Local Macmillan Support in your area, do also check for a local Maggie's Centre as these folks are amazing and support all the family.
Do get back to me if you need further help navigating the community
Happy to help, it’s easy to over think all this but from my long experience once you get clear information the noise between your ears will start to calm down ((hugs))
