WLE and SLNB initial consultation - “allow 2 hours”

Hi Tinkerbell and a very warm welcome to the online community

I'm sorry to read that you've been diagnosed with melanoma but hopefully you'll find that this group is both informative and supportive.

When I went for my appointment to discuss the WLE and SLNB, the surgeon who was going to perform the operations took me through the benefits and risks of both surgeries and I signed the consent forms to have them. He also gave me a full body check over to see if there were any other dodgy looking moles that might want removing at the same time as the other ops. I also had the pre-op where they took blood pressure, tested my urine sample, went through my medical history, etc and told me what would happen on the day.

I can't remember exactly how long I was there but it probably was heading for a couple of hours.

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Thanks for the reply, latchbrook. That’s really helpful and is a lot more in-depth than I was expecting (didn’t expect another full skin exam but I’ll be reassured to have another pair of eyes check me over).  Awaiting results of a suspected BCC biopsy too so maybe they’ll remove that at the same as the WLEs.  I felt quite positive after getting my results (the dermatologist was pretty certain one of the moles was a melanoma so it wasn’t a huge shock to have it confirmed) but have been on a bit of an emotional roller coaster ever since. I’m finding the forum very informative, but also a little scary but it just highlights how dangerous this disease can be.  

Yes it can be scary to read some of the stories here Tinkerbell but don't forget that for every person who goes on to need adjuvant treatment, because melanoma cells are found in their SLNB, there are at least as many, if not more, who won't require any further treatment and will just be monitored for 5 years.

If you've already had a full body check you might not get that again at this consultation. I hadn't had one because the consultant didn't think the lesion I had was melanoma so had no reason to do one initially. You could also ring your SCNS to find out what should be happening at this consultation as different hospitals may do things differently.

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Ok, thanks - I think I’ll just prepare myself to be there for 2 hours with all the pre-op tests you mentioned and potentially another full exam. The waiting seems to be the worst thing at the moment so I’m pleased things are starting to move along.  I’m constantly checking my armpit and I’m feeling all sorts of twinges which I’m sure wouldn’t have even entered my head a month ago. Keeping busy definitely helps.

It's best if you can just check yourself once a month Tinkerbell as constantly prodding your lymph nodes can cause them to swell.

As I'm a very moley person my consultant advised me to take photos of the different sections of my body, eg lower back, upper back, left arm, etc so that I could use them to compare me now with then. Doing this means that it's easy to spot a new mole or see if one has really changed or you've just imagined it.

You're right about noticing aches and pains and jumping to the worse-case scenario. However, with time you should find that you go back to not assuming that everything you've found means the melanoma has spread.

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Thanks for the advice on the lymph nodes and photos - I’m planning to do photos on the 1st of each month so maybe I’ll add lymph node checks to that! I’m also covered in moles so spotting changes/new ones is a challenge! 

Yes, I check my lymph nodes on the same day of the month that I check my moles.

Had my appointment at Guy’s on Thursday - consultant was very reassuring and put my mind at rest on a few issues (I’d been very worried because I had 2 melanomas on one arm but he said my risk wasn’t increased as one was in situ). He did a full skin and lymph node exam and spotted another mole on my back he didn’t like so that was removed there and then too! Booked for WLE and SLNB on Friday 4/3. 

Just received a letter this morning from my local hospital.  They did a curettage and cautery on a suspected BCC on my left ankle which has been confirmed as a BCC. This will be reviewed at my scheduled melanoma follow up in 6 months. Husband has just tested positive for COVID this morning so really hope my op on Friday goes ahead as planned.  

That all sounds really positive Tinkerbell and it's great that your ops are happening really quickly.

I'm guessing that you'll have to do a covid test a few days before you have your ops so it might be best to try and spend as little time with your husband as you can manage. Mind you, I came down with covid a few days ago and my husband hasn't caught it off me.

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Sorry to hear you have COVID, latchbrook. Hope you’re not suffering too much. I have a test at the hospital on Tuesday so just hoping I’m ok (tested negative earlier). Giving husband a very wide berth at the moment. Get well soon x