Hello,
I have been informed that I now need to have a groin dissection. I am going in to hospital on Monday for the operation. I must admit that I'm super nervous, has anybody had this operation already? If so, do you have any advice for me? I'm worried that I may end up with Lymphoedma (incorrect spelling, sorry!). Any advice would be wonderful!
Hi Holly.
I've lived with malignant melanoma for 10 years now. Had a mole removed from my temple in 98, which was found to be malignant and 7 years later it returned in my right breast and lymph nodes on the left hand side of my neck. I had to have a lymph node disection, and also needed muscle and nerve removed, due to the tumour being in an awkward place. Apart from affecting my mobility in my arm a little (can still function!)I haven't had much problem with it. The neck is a bit sensitive to touch and occasional swelling when I've got a cold, virus etc... but fine apart from that. I've just found out, four years after the operation that it has returned in the soft tissue of my thigh, but not in my organs or lymph nodes, so need to have that taken out and am booked in for surgery pretty soon. I hope all goes well for you, and try and keep a sense of humour, because that certainly helps. For healing scars I found bio oil to be fantastic and still use this every day on my neck scar. Good luck x
Thank you for your note! Good luck with your surgery, when are you having it?
I am now out of hospital, still with a drain though! I feel very sore but hope that this will be the end of my run of bad luck! I will try the bio oil thank you!!
Good luck with everything and let me know how you get on.
Thank you so much for your note. I am now out of hospital and a little sore, still with drains too!! Yes, these stockings are lovely, aren't they?!! Does your husband wear them everyday? I am hoping that it will only be for 3-6 months, well hoping as I said... I've just turned 30 and I'm not sure that I am mentally ready for stockings and what the outcome of all this means.
I must admit that I can't bring myself to read about Lymphoedema until I know if I have it or not. I don't want to jinx myself and I feel I can only face one thing at a time right now!!
Hi Holly,
Glad you are out and at home, albeit with the drain and stockings! Sounds like the surgery went well.
I go in a day earlier on Tuesday now, and have the op on Wednesday. Just want the tumour out getting all paranoid about the longer it's in there, it's bound to spread etc etc, I'm sure you know how that feels! Will let you know how I get on.
If you ever want a chat about anything Holly, you can email me. It's nice to meet someone of the same age who is going through a similar thing.
Natasha x
I had my groin disected on 28th February. Not my most pleasant experience to date - but hey ho, I seem to be over the worst and am going back to work on Wednesday. I had my inguinal and pelvic lymph nodes removed - how about you? Still a bit sore, especially in my groin and had a couple of areas that have only just healed, but luckily had no infection or anything. Got a touch of lymphoedema going on, which is probably more painful and uncomfortable than the actual site of the op, mostly around the back of my knee and inner thigh, but it's not spread below the knee luckily and seems to dissipate so maybe it'll clear up on its own.
My surgeon has passed me over to an oncologist at the local hospital and I've been invited to take part in a clinical trial which I've agreed to. It's to see whether avastin has any effect on the recurrence of melanoma, don't know yet whether I'll get the drug, but I quite hope I do.
This is my third bout of melanoma in 10 years, getting to be an old hand at it now! It recurred last year as a lump under the scar of my first excision, so I had a wide excision of the site last February, now got a scar that runs from my hip to the middle of my back and a slight butt lift - shame he didn't do the other side at the same time! Then at Christmas I noticed the lump in my groin and the rest is history!
Well I've waffled enough for my first posting! Let me know how you're getting on.
Holly I had a block dissection on my left groin a week after you, how are you feeling now? I hope you've healed well and have had good results.Has Natasha been back to update after her surgery?
I'm 38, and had what my GP and I were blithely unaware was a nodular melanoma removed mid December. I had the news given to me a week later that it was malignant, and not a naevus afterall. It was 2.3mm deep and a sentinel node biopsy was recommended. Is it right that this is not offered in every area? I think I've maybe been lucky to be in the right place at the right time.
The biopsy and wide excision took place in early February, and showed it had spread to the nodes. A CT scan in the interim showed I had also got a large cyst on my right ovary,which meant removal of the ovary and tube on that side. Both procedures could be carried out at the same time.
I had my surgery on March 11th, results showed all clear the following week. It clearly hadn't spread beyond the first node and the cyst was benign. Obviously that has been brilliant...obviously.
I'm not entirely sure where I'd fit in here, it looks like a new forum and maybe I've *landed* on the wrong board, but it does seem like while I was brilliant in a crisis, now the dust should be settling I feel a bit adrift.
