Tag Archives: melanoma

May6

Post-op #1 ~ wound dressing

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Monday 6th May

Three days after the operation I had an appointment to visit the nurse in our local surgery. My wonderful next door neighbours had borrowed a pair of crutches for me, making it easier to cross the road to get to the car.

If I thought it was painful before, I wasn’t prepared for this!

Upon unwrapping the bandages, the wound, actually more like a crater, was filled with gauze. The wound had to be kept open, in preparation for a skin graft, two weeks hence.

Using saline solution and plastic tweezers, the nurse, as gently as possible, began to prise the dressing away from my skin. Forty five minutes of crying, hyperventilating, hanging on to my husband’s shoulders, and finally the wound was clear.

It did look quite scary and very deep. Having cleaned and re-bandaged my foot I felt a lot more comfortable, plus I was armed with a box of much stronger painkillers!

And they worked! If I timed it right, taking two, 40 minutes ahead of time, I could hop-hobble to the bathroom in a little less pain!

A much better sleep was had that night.

May3

Post-op #1

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3rd May 2013

Oh my goodness! The anaesthetic wore off at 2:30am, and the pain kicked in.

I had only taken a couple of paracetamol, and that certainly wasn’t enough to stop the awful throbbing.

When I tried to get out of bed a little while later, the blood rushing to my foot plus the actual weight placed on it as I attempted to stand was unbelievable. It felt like my foot was exploding, spurting blood and gore everywhere.

I had to get to the bathroom. Crying, hopping, sliding, bum-shuffling, hanging on to my husband; it seemed to take forever, but finally I was there. The pain was excruciating. And then followed the long journey back to bed; I must have looked ridiculous!

May2

Operation One

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Thursday 2nd May.

OK, so the day looms; overnight bag packed (just incase), phone plus charger, trusty Kindle, all ready to go. I’ve had nothing to eat since yesterday dinner time, not even a cup of tea this morning!

Soon after arriving at the hospital, we go for form filling, blood pressure and MRSA swabs. I have a name tag bracelet and a great big black arrow pointing to the offending blob; as if it needs an arrow!

Going into theatre is a breeze, anaesthesia takes over, and when I come round I don’t realise it’s all over.

Water, cups of tea and a ham salad sandwich are brought to me. Wonderful, wonderful after-care.

I finally hobbled out mid-afternoon, no pain, no ill effects. We stopped briefly for a cappuccino, and drove back home, whereupon I went straight to bed, feeling a bit groggy.

I was told to keep my leg elevated for at least 48 hours. Sleeping with my leg outside of the duvet is a little tricky, but I managed it.

On my discharge notes it said I’d had an excision of a lesion dorsum, left foot with dressing. Recommend rest and elevation and off duties.

In the first 24 hours I mustn’t cook, use electrical equipment or tools, not to drink alcohol nor to sign any legal documents, ie cheques. Any of the above may endanger you or others!

Apr26

First consultation ~ plastic surgeon

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Friday 26th April

I visit the outpatient’s department of the local hospital to firstly have the stitches removed from my back, a simple, painless task, then to meet the plastic surgeon consultant. He breezed into the room, crisp, white, open-neck shirt with cufflinks, stuck out his hand to shake mine, not looking at my face, but down at my foot. “Ooohhhh, aaahhhh, hhmmm” Right, not sure what it is, but most likely a melanoma. It has to come off, and quickly. He made a hurried telephone call to his secretary, and I was booked in for the following Thursday.

He was efficient, professional, and incredibly caring and I knew there and then, I was in the best possible hands.

Things really were beginning to move along fast.

Apr16

How the journey began

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I’ve always had a small mole on the top of the fourth toe of my left foot. It’s been there since forever. I’ve also got quite a moley back and tummy, but nothing, I thought, of any major concern. My husband and I check our bodies regularly.

(Back when I was about 11 years old, I had a mole removed from the right side of my jaw. This was carried out in Singapore, at the British Medical Hospital. I think I stayed in for a couple nights, and came out with about nine stitches. The scar is barely visible now.)

Anyway, playing in the garden last Autumn, next door’s dog nicked my toe with its claw, and just caught the side of the mole, causing it to bleed a bit.It seemed fine all through the Winter, I was wearing tights and shoes to school, no problem. Then in the New Year it began to get bigger, it would weep a bit, and I took to wearing a plaster over it. Soon I could no longer wear proper shoes, and took to wearing FitFlops to school. It was then I made an appointment to see my GP.

Things moved very quickly after that.

My first appointment at the Dermatology Department was on Tuesday 16th April 2013. Photographs were taken, but the consultant there thought the alien blob was too big and too serious to be removed then and there. I would be referred to a specialist plastic surgeon as soon as possible.

However, on further inspection of my body, I pointed out a very dark mole on the lower right of my back. Well, that can come off right away! Arghhhh! We went away for a coffee, coming back an hour later to have the procedure carried out under local anaesthetic. Whoa! Too many injections of anaesthetic and adrenaline later, my back was being stitched up, with deep, disolvable ones, and then a line of surface stitches. The offending item would be sent away for biopsy.

I had that day off school, plus the following one, as I was still somewhat sore. Back to school on Thursday and Friday.