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
So sorry to read that one of your husband's moles turned out to be melanoma Chocandcheese and I can empathise with the shock he's feeling at the moment.
He should take heart from the fact that Stage 1a is really the earliest you can be, so it means they've caught it really early and, hopefully, the only further treatment he'll need is the wide local excision (WLE). This is a precautionary surgery, very similar to the original excision biopsy he had, and is to make sure that no stray cancer cells were left behind.
((hugs))
"Never regret a day in your life, good days give you happiness, bad days give you experience"
