Hi everyone. I’ve recently been told I have a stage 1b melanoma and now awaiting WLE and sentinel node biopsy. Emotions are all over the place with waves of anxiety day and night. Husband is doing his best to keep me sane. Really difficult time waiting for op and then results but reassuring to find others on this site on the same rollercoaster. We can help keep each other positive.
Hi Paw6 and a very warm welcome to the online community
I was diagnosed with melanoma nearly 5 years ago now but can still remember how numb I felt when told. It's good that you have your husband's support as waiting for operations and results can be very difficult. I
It's natural to feel anxious about your diagnosis but my advice would be to try and occupy yourself doing things that you enjoy so you forget about the 'what ifs'. Lots of people find mindfulness really helpful and there are lots of free apps out there if this is something that appeals to you.
I'd recommend that you don't start 'googling' as you'll more than likely find information that is out of date plus most people only post scare stories so you'll go on looking for good news and come away finding bad news. However, if you want to ask any questions then please feel free to post anything here and there will be someone who can share their experience with you.
I've had both the WLE and sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) that you are waiting to have so I'm happy to answer any questions you might have about those ops.
Let us know when you have the dates for your ops.
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"Never regret a day in your life, good days give you happiness, bad days give you experience"
It's totally natural to feel as you do this early in your diagnosis but I can guarantee that one day you'll realise that melanoma wasn't the first thing you thought about when you woke up and the last thing you thought about before you fell asleep.
When I was diagnosed (Stage 2a) I wasn't aware of this community but I arranged to have a chat with my skin cancer nurse specialist (SCNS) and she really helped me put things in to perspective.
It would be great if you could pop something about your diagnosis and treatment so far into your profile as it really helps others when answering or looking for someone with a similar diagnosis. It also means that you don't have to keep repeating yourself. To do this click on your username and then select 'Profile'. You can amend it at any time and if you're not sure what to write you can take a look at mine by clicking on my username.
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"Never regret a day in your life, good days give you happiness, bad days give you experience"
