Hey everyone, have just joined as have been recently diagnosed with stage 1a Melanoma. My mole was removed from my cheek in January and was not worried at all as dermatologist thought it looked normal. It was only removed as it had more than doubled in size in the last year and a half. All I was told was that if it did turn out to be cancer then I don't have to worry as it would've been removed.
Two weeks ago I was told over phone it was a Melanoma, and they would probably have to do more surgery. I went in for a consultation last week with the surgeon, who had also booked me in for surgery straight after the consultation. First I lay down on table and she drew on my face what flesh she was going to cut out of my cheek for the WLE. It is close to my mouth, so she says it will be a large scar and pull my mouth out to the side. She said it will loosen in time and in future will be hidden by my wrinkles. (I'm in my forties and have no wrinkles at all there!) She won't do a skin graft and did not mention a skin flap.
To say it was a shock is a massive understatement. I'm already chronically ill with M.E, joint pain and suffer from depression and anxiety, so my stress levels hit the roof. I couldn't stop shaking, my teeth were chattering and I was trying my hardest not to have a full blown panic attack. My friend was there with me and I had written questions down so did get some information, but I chickened out of the surgery that day and left. She's asked me to make a decision within a week.
The team have said its really my decision now. Because of lockdown last year, they have got used to the idea that there will be this group of people who did not get the WLE done. (They did a risk assessment and decided the risk of Covid to the patients was greater than the risk of the melanoma coming back)
I've been told that having the surgery will only reduce the risk of it coming back by 1% for my size of Melanoma. And that even with the surgery it doesn't reduce the risk to zero, but that it will be in single figures. Some friends and family are telling me I'm mad for considering not having it done, and others are telling me that it's no way worth it. And one friend is telling me I need to love my body more so that it won't chose cancer!!!! A lot of you with or without more serious melanomas will probably disagree, but I just can't get my head round why they would do this for only a 1% change in the risk.
Anyway I'm not wanting any advice at all on whether or not I should get this surgery as only I can make that decision. I'm hoping to hear from anyone that has had the WLE done on the face without a skin flap or patch, as I want to know whether the skin actually does stretch in time, or whether I'm going to have a permanently lopsided face. My mental health is as important as my physical health, and I'm sure I won't be able to cope with that as I have a low self image anyway. Has anyone had any other treatment for the face, such as Mohs? Although I can't afford it, wondering if a private plastic surgeon will give a better cosmetic result?
Also wanting to know if anyone here didn't have the WLE because it was cancelled due to lockdown, (or even others that have decided not to have it done, but I think I may be in the minority there). How do you feel about not having it done?
I realise I'm lucky that it has been caught early, but I'm struggling so much with this. It may have been easier if the decision had been taken out of my hands. My anxiety is so much worse, and not sleeping much at all so my joint pain is so much worse now too due to the stress. How do people get through this? I have no idea how people can get through an even worse diagnosis!
Hi Miranda,
Thanks so much for your response. It definitely helps. So sorry you have had to go through all this as well as your breast cancer previously. It is definitely no fun. I'm shocked that you had so many different cancers on your face, what an awful ordeal that must have been. I can't imagine how you coped with all of that.
Its good to hear you're scars on your face have healed well and are not distorting your face. That is my biggest concern and the thought is freaking me out. I'll need to ask about the massage bit of it. Unfortunitely due to chronic wrist pain I'm not able to massage very well, my wrists would just get too sore, but I wonder if it can be done by an electrical massage tool or another implement. I hope you are right in that my surgeon won't do a flap because its not needed, rather than she wont do it for another reason. (I read that its normally done by plastic surgeon, which she isn't)
I'm slightly leaning towards getting the surgery done now I've learnt it is a lentigo melanoma, as I'm pretty sure I was told the margins on my biopsy were minimal (will need to check) and they are less than the recommended margin even for a lentigo maligna before it becomes invasive. I just have to find a way of coming to terms with it, but the thought of the surgery terrifies me. I spoke to my cancer nurse yesterday and she said they definitely won't sedate me 
. I'm worried that if I have a panic attack I'll move suddenly during surgery and the scalpel will slice the wrong way!
The Covid risk assessment wasn't in relation to myself. This was last year at first lockdown, so would have applied to all of their patients, regardless of age. Pretty sure it would only apply to stage 1a anyway. Higher stages would have a different risk factor.
Your friends message is a good one to remember, thanks for sharing that. I'm currently having hypnotherapy sessions which concentrate on building a happier and better future rather than worrying about past traumas, so it's definitely helping with all my other issues. Am hoping will also help with this too.
Thanks again for your reply, its much appreciated. wish you all the best Miranda
Hi
I was wondering how you were and if you'd decided to have the WLE.
x
"Never regret a day in your life, good days give you happiness, bad days give you experience"
