How long?

Hey,

I was diagnosed in mid-June 2018 and had WLE & SLNB at the end of August 2018. 

It was fairly straightforward and you're unconscious for it. 

On the day, it started with an appointment at the nuclear imagine department where you get a dye injected. This helps them find the lymph for the SLNB. In the afternoon I went for the operation. After that you wake up and it's all been done. 

Thank you that’s really helpful, how long did the procedure take? is there any sort of pre-op or scans required or is it just a case of waiting for the appointment for WLE and SLNB? 

Yea there's a scan to see where the dye they inject goes, then they draw on your skin where it's gone for the surgeon later.

I had that around 11 in the morning and then the surgery was at 3pm that afternoon. Not sure how long the scan normally takes, probably a 30 mins? They had trouble with finding it on me so it took a few tries. 

I've heard some people have the scan one day and the surgery the next day. 

It's hard to know how long the operation lasts as they kept in me in overnight so no idea on a time. 

Hi

How are you? Do you have the date for your WLE and SLNB yet?

x

Hi, sorry I thought I had replied to Scott. 

I’m ok thank you, a bit anxious atm. I think it’s also fuelled by work stress aswell atm.

I am booked in for next Wednesday next week. 

thank you x 

Hi

I don't think you'd be normal if you weren't feeling anxious about the upcoming procedure and operations, I know I was.

If it helps I can honestly say that if I knew then what I know now I wouldn't have been half as anxious. The lymphoscintigraphy, which is the procedure when you have dye injected close to where the melanoma was, is nothing worse than having an injection and then having to lie down for half an hour or so.

I told the anaesthetist that I was nervous about having a general anaesthetic and he was really good and reassuring. As for having the anaesthetic, one minute I was awake thinking that it wasn't working and the next minute I was waking up!

I'm sure you'll be fine too

x

Aw brillAnt thank you that is really reassuring.  How long does the procedure usually take? 

thanks 

lauren

If you mean the lymphoscintigraphy, I was probably there for about an hour. For the WLE and SLNB, I went down to theatre at about 8am and left hospital about 3pm the same day. I was back on the recovery ward for an hour or so before they let me go so I suppose I was in the operating theatre the rest of the time.

x

Ok thank you I go to one hospital for for the lymphoscintigraphy At 10am then have to go to another hospital 40 minutes away for the WLE and SLNB for 12pm

the letter I received only tells me about the 12pm appointment. I wouldn’t have known about the other appointment if I hadn’t called to ask some questions x

I had mine at two different hospitals too. I had the lymphoscintigraphy one afternoon and the operations the following day.