Awaiting WLE & Skin Graft (Thigh)

Hi.  My mole was on my ankle too.  The op doesn't sound very pleasant does it but it does sound like people on here have been cared for well in it.  I've got to have an SLNB too so I've been told mine will be done under general.  

When I had the initial excision, I felt pain initially so they put more local aesthetic in until I couldn't feel anything.  I'd imagine if you can feel anything which I'm guessing will be unlikely that's what you can ask for?

Hi, thanks for your reply.

If my WLE is a similar feeling to when I got the mole first removed, I will cope with that. 

I have however watched a few YouTube videos with a graft being done. OMG!  

I could possibly ask for a GA but in a weird way I want to challenge myself to see if I can be brave. Thanks for the tip, I will also ask for some cream first to numb the areas before my injections are administered. 

When is your surgery scheduled for? I wish you all the best! :-)

I'm seeing the plastic surgeon tomorrow so I hope he'll give me an indication of when the op will be.  I did google what the skin graft looks like and that was bad enough - don't think I could cope with Youtube!  

Good luck to you too!

Hi there, I had my WLE and SLNB yesterday. My WLE was on my shin and during the surgery they manged to fix the WLE without a skin graft. I was fully expecting a skin graft but luckily for me they manged without. Hopefully for you it could possibly be the same. I get my SLNB results in 2 weeks and all yhe stitches out in 2 qeeks so honestly try not to worry they work wonders at times 

Thanks for your message.  I would be delighted if they managed to do my WLE without a graft!  I live in hope!   

Did you get a general anesthetic or just a local?  

Best of luck for your results..... 

I saw my plastic surgeon today and found it quite overwhelming.  Anyway, the reason I thought I'd message is that he said he's hoping to do it without a skin graft so that was the one positive to come out.  The negatives were him drumming on about how serious the op was and not giving me a date for it (he said he was very busy).

Oh that's fantastic news!  Hopefully no graft for you.

I met with my plastic surgeon on 31 October, he pulled at my ankle skin and gave me 2 options....a skin flap (whatever that is) or a thigh skin graft.  He suggested the graft would be better than the flap.  He downplayed the whole thing.  Apparently the Scottish government give them deadlines to have surgery done by, so my date to be all done by is Xmas Eve.  I have had a few emails from my Skin Cancer Specialist Nurse who said I should expect a date within 2 weeks of seeing the plastics man.  Tick tock!  I feel sick about the whole thing tbh and I just want it all over with!  

Yes I've heard skin graft is better than flap (like you say whatever that is!). People here seem to have had grafts with no big issues and that's really great that you know you'll be done by Christmas.  Yes the waiting is horrible.  I think that's why I'm feeling so low.  I REALLY wanted a date today.

Have you been in touch with your Skin Cancer Specialist Nurse from the team who are discussing you?  I get emails daily from my nurse, I'm sure she must cringe when she reads all my concerns and probably stupid questions!  I've never been through anything like this before so its all new to me.....I'm trying to use humour to get me through, and eating mint matchmakers!! 

Oh that's really interesting about the skin cancer nurse.  I wasn't really sure what they were for!  I've never been anything like this either.  I read your profile (...stalker!) an it was very entertaining.  I was curious about your experience of the wound opening up because in my opinion they didn't really give me great advice on how to let it heal after.  I was lucky cos I went on holiday the next day so definitely rested but although I'm not a gym bunny (definitely accidentally wrote gin bunny which would actually be a lie cos I'm definitely a gin bunny!) I do walk A LOT and was back to walking very early which I do think slowed down the healing.