Melanoma

Buffy 1 day ago

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Hello,

Just wondering if anyone can advise or has similar problems?

After being diagnosed recently with Melanoma again, first time in 2017, I'm recovering from a wide excision and skin graft which I had 9 weeks ago.

It's been a difficult time and it was a terrible shock, as I'm sure many of you are feeling the same.

It was very near to the previous melanoma on my calf above ankle, where last time I had a skin flap done. It's been healing slowly and there is just one scab left, a bit of which does still leak a bit after showering. Been told to remove the simple dressing and blue line stocking this week. I've been trying to do more and drive etc. It has been feeling OK but the last couple of days the area and my foot/ankle has been swelling up. I have been elevating it when I'm sat and I've put ice on it tonight.

Thank you for reading this and any thoughts or advice would help.

Cerys30 17 hours ago

Hello

Sorry to hear you have had a second melanoma. It’s must be really tough to have a recurrence.

I have had a similar experience. I had a melanoma removed from the bottom/side of my foot near the heel in April 2024 and a skin graft from my arm. It took 13 weeks before it healed completely. The surgeon (who did a great job) said it would take 3 weeks to heal so it was very frustrating that it went on for so much longer even though I did everything I was advised to do (elevation, not too much standing/walking, shower only with a limbo bag to keep it dry) and more (didn’t actually walk on the foot until it was fully healed even though I was told I could). My macmillan nurse reassured me that feet are problematic places to have a melanoma simply because of blood circulation and that it would just take time to get better.

Once it was fully healed I started walking without a crutch and for the first month or so my foot would swell up, so I would elevate it still as much as possible. It gradually subsided and while I have a dent/hole in my foot it’s very manageable now.

So if my experience is anything to go by you are doing fine - just keep elevating it when you can and ice it as you are doing. It should hopefully resolve in a few weeks’ time.

Best of luck!

Claire

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