Newly diagnosed

Sorry for your diagnosis but I feel very strongly that your consultant needs to get her facts straight before frightening you like that.As you said at the time she didn’t even know your results.Try not to worry it looks as if they have caught it early and the treatment has so much improved in recent years.I know as I am stage 4 and undergoing immunotherapy every four weeks and have been able to live a normal life since diagnosed 3 years ago with stage 4. So I repeat,Try not to worry and get on with enjoying your life. I don’t know when you will get a WLE but hospitals have their targets and try to reach them.Have a good Christmas and say to yourself worrying will not make any difference to the outcome and keep busy doing things you enjoy. As for telling people I always find it easier face to face if possible and then just outline the basic facts It should not interrupt your study too much. Take care and think of all the nice things you intend to do.

Hi , welcome to the online community. How did your face to face Boss conversation go ?

I’m assuming you might be working either part time or full time and doing the part time course on top. My daughter did a part time MA a few years ago and was sponsored by her work, it was a great thing to focus on. I’m the patient though going through immunotherapy at the moment.

The uni notification can presumably be done by email and can revolve around what help you might need from the uni. I don’t know where your WLE is (body wise) if it will effect you typing, walking or thinking while you have a rest after the op, whether you will miss some lectures and need them to copy you over any notes or reading lists or give you extra time for assignments. Your work might be able to give you time off if they are sponsoring you to catch up on uni to ? 

I hope you get it done before Xmas as that may make Xmas a good time for resting and less time thinking about it. I know latchbrook had to wait from November to January but the wait isn't usually that long. I was trying to look up if it was 31 days or 42 that they aim for and couldn’t find it in the NICE guidelines, you might have more success looking for it that me today.

if you do find it, it would be great to put the link in your reply for others. 

Best wishes

Thank you. I didn’t manage to find any timescales so I will just have to have patience . It would help if I got a date even if it is a long way out, but from past experience the hospital only send out appointment dates just in time ( or too late or not at all) so makes planning very difficult. i don’t really want to get behind on assignments as another follows fairly quickly behind and there is no opportunity for catch up, but to be honest my mind is not really functioning at the moment.

I saw the surgeon today and my WLE will be 3rd Jan. Not too long but still no nurse assigned although have now had a full body check which was a relief. 

Of course loads of things now occurring to me I would like to ask.

I’m glad you have a date, some how it eases the mind. If you have a specialist nurses phone number, you can usually ring and run any questions by them. If not you could try the ask an expert section or the Macmillan support line 0808 808 0000 which is open 8am to 8pm. 

I haven’t had a WLE but there are many here who can give you their experience if there’s something you want to ask.

No specialist nurse unfortunately. Sounds like I have follow up from the dermatologist or the surgeon. I wish I had recorded the appointment. It would be useful if they gave you something written down

Yes there’s always a lot to take in at appointments and sometimes the stress of it all makes concentrating difficult. 

I wonder if either of these links might help you.

https://www.skinhealthinfo.org.uk/condition/stage-1-melanoma/

https://www.macmillan.org.uk/information-and-support/melanoma/treating/surgery/surgery-explained