After WLE received letter booking telephone consultation now received a letter for face to face appointment

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Hello everyone,

I had a WLE on the 26th Feb for Pt1a on my shoulder. A few days after the op I received a letter saying a telephone consultation had been booked for the 17th April. At this stage the biopsy wouldn’t of been done but the telephone consultation letter said if we need to see you face to face we will write to you. I’ve been away for a few days and just opened my post and a letter was sent out on the 18th March asking me to come to a face to face appointment. 

I’m just wondering that they now have had the biopsy back and now need to see me. Is this the norm or should I be concerned? 

  • Hi  

    It's very hard for any of us to guess correctly as to why they now want to see you. I had a face-to-face appointment when I got my results back from my WLE and SLNB, but is was always going to be face-to-face.

    Has the appointment date been brought forward or has it just changed from a telephone to face-to-face? If it's still the same day it could be that the surgeon simply wants to check on the progress of the wound. If the date's changed it could be that they can see you face-to-face sooner than they could speak to you on the phone. Another scenario is that they didn't get clear margins so need to speak to you about further surgery. 

    You could give your SCNS a call to ask why the type of appointment has been changed. 

    I know it's difficult not to worry in these circumstances but try not to as it won't change the outcome but will make the waiting miserable for you.

    ((hugs))

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  • Hi Latchbrook, thanks for replying. The second letter I got the other day for a face to face appointment is in May but the telephone consultation is for April and that’s not been cancelled. I think possibly with the first letter saying ‘we will only see you face to face if with think it’s necessary,’ has spooked me a bit.  The discharge notes from the Plastic Surgery after the WLE the surgeon had ticked follow up ‘telephone consultation.’

    Yup there could be just simple reasons such as checking my scar or like you say the margins weren’t clear. I think I’m over thinking it but like you say it doesn’t change the outcome.

    Good idea for you to say ring my SCNS just to clarify! 

    Hope you are well and thank you qgain! Slight smile

  • If the telephone appointment hasn't been cancelled and this one's a month later it might be the first of your follow-up dermatology appointments, but the SCNS should be able to clarify this.

    I had an appointment come through for my first appointment with dermatology before I'd had the results of my WLE and SLNB.

    Thanks for asking after me and yes, I'm currently very well Slight smile

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     "Never regret a day in your life, good days give you happiness, bad days give you experience"

  • Yes I rang the nurse and you’re right! I think my mind races away with itself and jumps to all the wrong conclusions

    Anyhow keep well & thanks for the support!