Malignant melanoma

Hi  and a very warm welcome to the online community

I'm sorry to hear that you've been diagnosed with melanoma.

I see that you're having the wide local excision (WLE) and sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) next week. I had these operations about two and a half years ago. Is it the thought of the operations that you're scared about or something else? I'm happy to tell you about my experience with the ops if that would help.

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Hi, it's not the operations but the biopsy results. 12  years ago I had to have a tumor and part of my stomach removed. I got the final all clear 10 years ago. But this diagnosis has knocked me so low that I am struggling to cope again. 

Hi, it's not the operations but the biopsy results. 12  years ago I had to have a tumor and part of my stomach removed. I got the final all clear 10 years ago. But this diagnosis has knocked me so low that I am struggling to cope again. 

Yes, waiting for the results is horrible

I don't think there's any easy answer for the best way to cope. I'd just moved house so I think organising the new home helped keep my mind off things along with immersing myself in my hobbies.

If you're really struggling to cope then it might be an idea, if you haven't already, to have a word with your GP.

Hopefully, you'll only have a couple of weeks to wait for your results but make sure you ask how long the results in your area are currently taking and how you'll receive them when you go for your operation. I had an appointment back with the plastic surgeon who did the WLE and SLNB and he checked my wounds as well as giving me the good news that everything was clear.

Come back here as often as you want to ask questions or just chat

x

Thank you. 

Hi , Welcome to the group. For me I was diagnosed with metastatic melanoma (no primary) in 2015, I had Immunotherapy and became no measurable disease and remained clear not on treatment for a year, I had just started thinking I would clear for years when a scan showed it was back, I found the second diagnosis as hard if not harder than the first. 

Theres a section on coping emotionally I found it useful to read, I will put the link below, it has a section on understanding your emotions and much more as well as practical tips.

https://www.macmillan.org.uk/information-and-support/coping/your-emotions

I had previously had counselling for anxiety and so I found it helpful to make a one word list of what was bothering me when it whizzed into my head, not to try and dwell on it but to get it out of my head acknowledged and then try and give myself a worry time each day to review the list. it’s a technique to try and stay in the now, and try and keep the time spent on worrying down to a set 10 mins each day. I chose 10 to 6, it was when I would be cooking so I could think but also be a bit active, don’t choose to close to bedtime or you won’t be able to sleep well. We all have different techniques that was mine, but distraction or meditation are other ways there’s a head space app that my husband used. Have a browse and see what you think and perhaps others will join in with their experiences.

best wishes