Tag Archives: surgery

Oct22

Date for surgery

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Tuesday 22nd October

My surgeon’s secretary telephones to offer me a choice.

I could have surgery next week, with a consultant I don’t know, or wait until November 12th and have him carry out the groin dissection.

I chose to go with the surgeon who operated on me before. I have enormous faith and confidence in him. His secretary mentioned that the consultant had said this would probably be the decision I would make.

Have I done the right thing in waiting for another couple of weeks? I do hope so. But I think I am an impatient patient.

Jul17

Eye ointment for my foot!

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Wednesday July 17th

So this is probably the last time I visit the practice nurse at the surgery for a check up on my foot. Plus, I needed a couple of things on prescription to take away on holiday with me. When I had my appointment with the consultant on Monday, he suggested that as the skin graft wasn’t fully healed between my toes, the best remedy was antibiotic eye ointment! Eyes and toes, hey? Almost at the opposite ends of one’s body! But, if it does the trick, I’ll not argue 🙂 One prescription for the cream was duly issued.

The nurse was really pleased I had been given the all clear to fly and go away for six weeks; yay! We talked about gentle exercise on the plane and the wearing of compression stockings ~ very fetching!

Later on in the afternoon I received a telephone call from the secretary to the consultant I saw on Monday. A quick catch up to explain the next course of events, and to check our holiday dates, so that the surgery can be fitted around those times. I will need a pre-op consult with a nurse, plus some blood tests, then I’ll be all set for the operation a few days later; a general anaesthetic, but I should be able to go home that same day ~ hopefully! She sounded really friendly, and very reassuring, and wished us well for a great holiday. She took my email address to make sure that I was kept up to date with details of appointments and hospital visits.

I can now relax for the rest of the summer, and enjoy our time away. Yes, I know I’ll be returning to more surgery, worrying about results and yet more time off work, but for now: “Here comes the summer!”

Jul8

Fat toes and gashed elbows

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Monday 8th June

My weekly visit to the practice nurse saw us discussing swollen, fat toes and over-granulation of the skin. Hmmm, doesn’t sound too pretty! My fourth and fifth toe remain puffy and podgy, and are hypersensitive to touch. In between the toes, where it is warm, moist, and constantly under pressure, the friction of rubbing together, and the graft not taking, the skin remains red raw, and the scar tissue keeps on growing (the over-granulation). Bleurrgghh. The nurse says if it wasn’t for the skin graft, she would probably use silver nitrate to get rid of the excessive scar tissue. But, we’ll wait and see what the consultant says on Monday.

I now seem to have two differently sized feet; my left foot appears to be two sizes bigger than my right! Ha ha, not! When can I wear dainty, summer sandals? High heels?

Anyway, about an hour after returning from the surgery, my mum pops round on her way to the beach. She remembers that she came to see me to ask for a plaster for her elbow, as she had fallen up her steps, coming back from the town. It’s only a graze, she says. Upon closer inspection, I realise it is a rather nasty, deep looking gash. Off we go, back down to the surgery for my second visit of the day, to see the same nurse. Lots of local anaesthetic, three stitches, a SteriStrip, gauze dressing, padding, bandage and an arm stocking, and mum is ready to be driven back to our house, by my husband, for a therapeutic cup of tea. No beach today!

Jul5

The long-awaited letter arrives

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Friday 5th July

I received a letter this morning from the consultant plastic surgeon in Exeter for an appointment a week Monday. The letter says it will just be an initial consultation, so I will go along with all sorts of questions . . . . the main one being, if it’s not life-threateningly desperate, could he hold off any surgery (a delayed Sentinel lymph node biopsy procedure), until after the summer holiday ~ do you think that’s cheeky or selfish or foolhardy on my part???? We booked our flights to America way back in January, for a five and a half week road trip.

I’ve been thinking so much about the arrival of this letter, that when I did open it, it made me feel a bit sick/scared/worried. It’s the prospect of not knowing what they might find, plus the actual procedure itself.

A number of fellow melanoma-ites have suggested that not many surgeons carry out a SLNB unless it is done at the same time as the original WLE.

Still, needs must, if that’s what the consultant thinks.

I have just over a week to wait . . . . .

Jun12

My GP called

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Wednesday 12th June

Lying in bed, on a dreary, grey June afternoon, I am roused from a nap by the telephone ringing. It is my doctor whom I originally saw back at Easter time, about my foot.

He wanted a quick catch-up, as he had been absent from the surgery for a while. He understood that I had been through a lot since he last saw me (understatement!!!), and wanted to know how I was doing. As he had the scan results infront of him, he was so pleased that they had come back clear. We talked of my upcoming appointments and surgery, the infections and antibiotics, and also of the lymph node biopsy procedure. He would try to see me tomorrow, when I go to have the wound dressed. He was also concerned that I wasn’t at work, standing up, teaching all day, and would write me out my fourth sick note, for collection tomorrow.

It was great to speak with him, knowing he had taken time out to enquire about my health and well-being. A super caring and concerned GP: so lucky to have him as my doctor.

May17

Operation two

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It’s Friday 17th May, and the alarm goes off at 4:10am. We are out of the house and on the way to Plymouth a little after five. The sunrise is beautiful; colouring the sky in pink, yellow and orange.

Due to the lack of traffic on the roads, we arrive at the hospital car park at 6:35am, far too early! The appointment was set at seven thirty. Twiddles thumbs.

Upon arrival  I didn’t know what to expect. I half imagined we’d be back on the road soon, after a quick chat. But it became clear that surgery was going ahead, and I was first in the queue. I spoke with nurses, the skin graft registrar, a fabulously jolly anaesthetist, and of course the wonderful plastic surgeon.

He really wasn’t happy that the Macmillan nurse had told me my results over the phone, and had also confused me with the order of events. My surgeon had wanted to speak to me himself about the melanoma. He asked how I felt, and there was genuine care and concern in his eyes.

He explained that the plan was to cut away a lot more tissue around the original wound site, slice a sliver of skin from my thigh, and magically affix it into place. I would then have a plaster cast set around my leg.

I went down to theatre soon after, monitors were placed here and there, bleeping that all was normal, an oxygen mask went over my face, and a thin needle introduced the anaesthesia into my system. I remember the eight, bright lights above me. zzzzzzzzz

Coming round, I couldn’t feel a thing, but I could see a fat, bandaged leg poking out from the covers. The nurses and doctors in recovery were amazing, so attentive, cheerful and professional. I was treated like a star!

About an hour and a half after coming round, I was discharged, and we began the drive home. Just before we left though, the anaesthetist popped her head around the curtain to see how I was doing, and to make sure everything was OK. She made a shape with her thumb and forefinger, to show the size of the new wound ~ it appears to be mahoosive!!

I spend a dopey afternoon in bed, taking the super strong painkillers at regular intervals. I now know I have to time it right to make a trip to the loo, ha ha.