Awaiting WLE & Skin Graft (Thigh)

Oh yes, you should defo touch base with your nurse.  My nurse is part of the MDT (Multi Disciplinary Team) that is dealing with my case / treatment plan etc.  She's very understanding and doesn't sugar coat things like the surgeon does.

I'm glad you enjoyed reading my profile :-)

I wish I could upload some photos of my mole and scar etc, but I don't know if that's at all possible?

I am DREADING post op, I can't sit still for 30 minutes let alone be on crutches and having to keep my leg elevated for more than a week.  I'll need to give my husband daily housework chores and run a training course on how to work the hoover!!!  

I've learned my lesson that time is the best healer, I will do my best to take it easy and hopefully heal quickly.  I can say that my scar from initial removal of the mole is now healed - just a wee scab.  I'm gutted its all about to be cut open again though but needs must.  Like I said to my nurse, there's a lot worse things that could be happening to me.

I'm also glad that this surgery will be happening in Winter, the weather will be bad so I wont want to be outside anyway, I just want to hibernate.

Remember you're not alone!  

Hi!  Yes photos would be interesting, although perhaps scary too?  So I saw the surgeon on Wednesday and got a date for my op - 19 December.  The appointment was very gloomy as he listed all the risks and talked about the gravity of it all.  His nurse gave me a leaflet about it with the words breast cancer scrubbed out and melanoma inserted throughout cos he's actually a breast surgeon.  However, he did say he's intending to do the op without a skin graft.  He said there would likely be a bit of an open wound but it would scab over.  I'm pretty confused about that tbh but I think it's better than having a skin graft?

I'm curious that you've been told crutches cos that would make sense but I've been told nothing about post op and was so intimidated by the surgeon that I forgot to ask. :/

Like you, I'm nervous about recovery.  I'm not good at allowing myself to rest.  I know that I'm not great with general anaesthetic so that will force rest for a few days but then my whole family is descending for Christmas so how's that going to work?!

Did you get a date for your surgery yet?

Hi.  I was wondering if I could ask - what have you been recommended in terms of recovery?  ie how long to rest? Are you on crutches? etc

Wow 19th December, that really doesn't give you much rest before Christmas!!  My Nurse told me to expect to be bedded for at least 3-4 days, with my leg remaining elevated / higher than my hip and not walked on for up to 2 weeks, hence the crutches.  I live in a top floor flat with 2 flights of stairs to get in the door, so I'm dreading getting home with crutches.  I've not got a date for my surgery yet, although they say I will be done before Christmas Eve.  Who knows maybe we will both be 19th December and can share Christmas Day stories :-)

I'm saving up lots of Netflix things to watch for my recovery, so I at least have some entertainment.

Did your Nurse give you a leaflet about the melanoma you have?  Have a look on this site, this is where my leaflet came from: https://www.bad.org.uk/patient-information-leaflets/

I'm being done on a local and not a general, so the plastic surgeon told me.  I think a lot of decisions will be made on the day when I'm in Theatre.....I guess we have to trust the system!  I might need to neck a jagerbomb before I go to the hospital hahaha

Oh that's really helpful with what you've been advised re recover.  Thanks for sharing.  Gives me a better picture.  And I found a helpful leaflet on that site - thank you. That said - do you find you read things and then feel half enlightened and half super overwhelmed??  

Horrible stairs & crutches for you tho.  I had a knee op last year and was constantly tripping over mine - such a liability!  I'm only on a general cos of the SNLB.

That would be weird if we get the same date.  Hope it's sooner for you tho.

Morning!  :-) 

When I first got my diagnosis, I read and read and read until my head burst.  Its amazing how much you learn when you have to.  I've stopped googling things now though because it was consuming me, my husband says I need to stop talking about it and just be patient.  I'm not a very patient person, I like to know exactly when things are happening and what exactly will happen.

I feel like I'm wishing my life away but I just want this all to be over.....roll on 2024, its going to be a great year.  Not to be all doom and gloom but in the past 12 months, my 75 year old Dad was diagnosed with esophageal cancer (he had the surgery last November, he's OK now and all clear), a few months ago we lost my 82 year old Mother in Law to a brain tumour.  They say things happen in 3's - first my Dad, then my Mother in Law and now ME!!!  That's us had all 3 now so next year should be a breeze :-)

Have a nice weekend!!

Hi!

Yeah I'm similar re the patience.  I think I'm quite a patient person but the evidence is that internally esp with something like this I'm not.  Like you I want to know when and exactly what.  I've found the waiting around this super anxiety inducing.  So I've come here to read up and work out exactly how it might look for me.  And whilst mainly understanding 'what' is helpful, I do find it also anxiety inducing at times.  On one hand I don't want any nasty surprises and I want to get myself mentally prepared. On the other it's all SO overwhelming, it's hard to keep calm.  I do worry I'm boring my friends now but I do find I need to talk about it to calm myself.

I can't really talk to my husband at the mo as he's really struggling with supporting his folks both of whom have aggressive cancers.

So I can relate to your situation - what a tough year.  Your Dad's been super lucky to beat Oesophageal cancer - that's a nasty one.  Anyway, like you said here's to a better 2024 for you.  

For now I'm enjoying the glorious weather and being able to keep doing my super long walks for now. :)

Mine was on my shin, just above the ankle and I had SLNB and WLE in same op so under general, so i cant talk to the op itself, but I did have more pain from the original excision than I did from the WLE. I had a skin graft from my thigh. But to answer your question on whether it hurt, I can honestly say that it really didn't, with a couple of very minor exceptions. My op was done in the morning and I was home by mid afternoon. Due to the graft, I was asked to elevate my leg and keep it immobile as much as I could, however I was able to get up and about in a limited fashion to go to the loo etc. I couldn't drive for 3 weeks. 

In terms of pain, aside from a slight tightness I could feel, it was very slightly sore for the second day, more of a niggly dull ache than anything and 24 hours of paracetamol essentially eliminated it. After that I didn't really feel it at all. The two instances where it was a little painful were when the cleaning and dressings were done at the weekly checks. At the end of week 1 was the graft site itself as they had stables holding in a sponge thing for the first week, presumably to apply pressure to the graft to help it take. Removal of the staples was a little sore as they didn't use anaesthetic for that and just pulled them out. Second point was the donor graft site on my thigh, interestingly and it was when they were removing the dressing on week 2 or 3, as it had weeped a lot and the dressing was essentially glued to my thigh and took the nurse about an hour to remove. But outside of that, I didn't feel any of my wounds day to day. The WLE location I had (and still have) very limited feeling post op. I didn't need crutches at all to get about when I needed to, but I can imagine you might if the wound was on or very close to the ankle joint. 

Not sure if that helps, but when I first saw the wound at the week 1 dressing change, I was amazed how little pain I felt, without needing any medication vs what I saw of the wounds. Not sure if it helps but that was my experience. 

I can second exactly what LDG559 has said here. My shin was the same location but luckily for me no skin graft needed. I have felt very little pain or discomfort and after 2 days not moving I had alot more movement and have be able to go about my business all be it at a slower pace as not to over do anything. Everyone heals differently but the pain expected was far more then the pain I have had. I hope everyone who is going through this awful time in their lives gets the best possible outcome. I got a couple weeks wait for the biopsy results and with every positive thought, I will be back to normal in a few weeks and life can go on. Anyone who needs a chat don't hesitate to message me and I will try help with the little knowledge I have

Hey!  Hope you had a nice weekend and tried not to think too much about everything.  I know its easier said than done, I feel its all I think about.  I'm not sure if you get notified when I update my profile or not, I'm not really switched on with all this social media malarky.

Anyways.....I got my surgery date - 4th January.  I feel relieved now I have a date.  I can now make plans.  Lets be honest nobody does anything in January so I'm glad I'll be stuck indoors.  Living in North East Scotland, we will likely have snow by then, so no sledging for me!

I got another email from my Skin Cancer Nurse today, she really is great, she sounds like she has a wicked sense of humour, she's answered all my questions and put me at ease with the whole thing.  In fact I dont even think I'm nervous at all now, so she's done a good job - this site has also helped me prepare and understand what to expect.

I'm sorry to hear about your husbands parents, that's just sooooo sad.  Please message me anytime if you want to rant.....did you get in touch with your nurse?  Perhaps arrange for her to give you a call?

It's horizontal rain here today, its the forecast for the next 10 days so no walking for me I'm afraid.

Take care x