Just diagnosed

Hi, I would say welcome but that seems a strange thing to say. I found this forum really helpful and nice to know you're not on your own and reach out to people that know how you feel.

I've recently been diagnosed and am waiting on the WLE & SLNB results, but like you I was not expecting a melanoma diagnosis.

Take care️
Kate

Thank you! You’re right it’s really helpful to have contact with others who understand how you’re feeling. Waiting is probably the worst thing.

Similar to you I went to the doctors in July last year but was told it was fine. I noticed an itch in March and it had grown so went back and was put on the two week fast track. My biggest problem has been trying to get the ‘what if’s’ out of my mind but like my wife said I can’t do anything about the past and need to concentrate on where I’m at now. I had the WLD and SLNB last week and am nervous about the results but I’ve seen so many positive stories on here and how treatment has got so much better. Wishing you all the best,

Thank you and it does help to feel part of a supportive group. Good luck for your results and it really is one step at a time. I am just so impressed with the NHS melanoma pathway and the latest treatments are proving very successful I know. 

Your journey so far is very similar to mine. First visited GP in July 2025 and eventually seen in dermatology October 2025. Told that it was a basal cell carcinoma, nothing to worry about but it would be removed in 4-6 weeks. In January (12 weeks later) I had surgery - a lot of digging! The bad news was that it was a nodular melanoma, Breslow depth of 5.4 and so initial staging of 2b. What a shock it was! Since then I have had a large freckle removed. That turned out to be a melanoma in situ so a WLE under local anaesthetic followed. I have had full CT scans and they were clear. Like you I am waiting for WLE and SLNB. Have you any idea when your surgery will be? Due to long waiting list the plastic surgeon told me that it would be August! 

Hope that you don’t have to wait too much longer for your results. The waiting really is the worst bit of this journey.

I’m so sorry to hear you’ve had much the same journey as I have and it really is the long waits that are the worst. I have no idea when the surgery will be. The cancer nurse I deal with was very sympathetic and said all the teams know it’s not acceptable to make patients wait so long. She said my wait could be 4 or 6 or even 12 weeks! So very like yours. 

Hi it’s good that you’ve come on here - it’s a very supportive forum. Like you and a few others I have also struggled with delayed diagnosis. It’s now a year since I referred myself with a pink lesion on my arm. Originally thought to be nothing suspicious then probable bcc. Diagnosed melonoma stage 1a in January. But we do have to look forward because we can’t go back. Easier said than done I know I’ve certainly felt the anger and frustration.

Ive had a WLE but need a second one because the results came back as slightly thicker Breslow and margins not clear. Think I’ll be having SLNB too but  a stage 1b at the moment. 
Long wait here for plastic surgery and that’s very hard.

We can support each other on here and send our spare positivity!

Jill x

Hi Kate

hope you’re doing ok and getting over the surgery. Keep positive about those results ️

Jill

Hi sounds like my wait  what area of the country are you? I’m only seeing plastics next month so surgery will be a while yet.

Trying to stay calm 

Jill x