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big worrier looking for reassurance
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big worrier looking for reassurance

› Forums › General Melanoma Community › big worrier looking for reassurance

  • Post
    • January 8, 2011 at 6:38 pm
    vivian
    Participant

      Hello All,

      Hello All,

      I am relatively new to this forum, but I have spent so much time reading your posts, I feel like you have already helped me enormously.  So here's the deal:  I was diagnosed in early November with amelonic nodular melanoma, Breslow 4.35, Clarke level 5, mitotic rate 9mm, non-brisk lymphocytes. Apparently the melanoma developed very rapidly because two previous biopsies in September were negative for cancer.  The lesion was on the mid left back. It looked like a cyst, not ugly or anything suspicious, but boy did it itch.   In mid-November I had the wide excision and SNB, which was positive for one of two nodes.  Pet/CT were clear and the LND three weeks ago was also 10 of 10 negative for melanoma.  I am counting my blessings, of course, to be 3a and NED, but (and this is the crazy part), four days before the LND, I had an acute appendix and something called a necrotic appendix epiploica.  The lab work on that was clear for "cancer", although I am not sure they specifically looked for melanoma.  Doesn't it seem a little coincidental that a 60 year old woman would have an appendicitis in the middle of all this?  And now, the  two month old scar from the wide excision has started to itch like crazy.  Hmmm…

      I know it is probable/possible that neither of these things means anything, but since melanoma is my second cancer (2002 myelodysplastic syndrome, stem cell transplant, total remission), I am really skittish.  Truly, right before the melanoma diagnosis, I had just gotten over thinking every little thing was a return of the MDS.  Of course I will mention the itching to the oncologist, dermatologist and surgeon, but meanwhile, does anyone out there have any stories of  emergency surgeries or itching scars unrelated to melanoma?  (Funny stories always appreciated!) Should I push for further testing?

      Thanks, friends!

      Vivian

    Viewing 3 reply threads
    • Replies
        • January 8, 2011 at 7:45 pm
        akls
        Participant

          Vivian,

          I had my gall bladder removed 5 months before my diagnosis.  I had an egg sized stone and the gall bladder itself was very diseased.  I know they sent it out to pathology, but I've always wondered about it.  I'm stage IIIa too and have had clear PET scans.  I think that  sometimes we just start thinking the worst.  I also had a very raised ugly mole removed from my face about 20 years ago that I never called about to find out what the pathology was.  The derm I went to back then is known for not sending out things to pathology that he doesn't think are cancer.  I've always wondered about that too.

          My scar itched too, but you should get it checked.  I still have pain where my scar is and I've been scanned and told this is pretty normal. 

          Good Luck!

          Amy S. in Michigan

          • January 8, 2011 at 7:45 pm
          akls
          Participant

            Vivian,

            I had my gall bladder removed 5 months before my diagnosis.  I had an egg sized stone and the gall bladder itself was very diseased.  I know they sent it out to pathology, but I've always wondered about it.  I'm stage IIIa too and have had clear PET scans.  I think that  sometimes we just start thinking the worst.  I also had a very raised ugly mole removed from my face about 20 years ago that I never called about to find out what the pathology was.  The derm I went to back then is known for not sending out things to pathology that he doesn't think are cancer.  I've always wondered about that too.

            My scar itched too, but you should get it checked.  I still have pain where my scar is and I've been scanned and told this is pretty normal. 

            Good Luck!

            Amy S. in Michigan

            • January 8, 2011 at 9:31 pm
            2atlascedars
            Participant
              Hi Vivian,

              I went through a WLE and SNB over the same time-period as your recent event and have been the recipient of over 24 inches of brand new scars. These scars have all itches while healing, and many are itching as I am writing this…including my skin graft donor site which had no melanoma involvement what-so-ever. Further, I have been told by doctors and nurses that itching is a normal part of the healing process, and as such is actually a GOOD sign. I have even been asked by a physical therapist if a scar was itching, as a measure of whether it was healing or not.

              I can’t comment on the appendix, but that does seem like an odd coincidence.

              Best regards,
              Mark (Stage 2A) from California

                • January 10, 2011 at 4:33 pm
                vivian
                Participant

                  Thank you, Amy S and Mark from California.  You both made me feel better! 

                  • January 10, 2011 at 4:33 pm
                  vivian
                  Participant

                    Thank you, Amy S and Mark from California.  You both made me feel better! 

                  • January 8, 2011 at 9:31 pm
                  2atlascedars
                  Participant
                    Hi Vivian,

                    I went through a WLE and SNB over the same time-period as your recent event and have been the recipient of over 24 inches of brand new scars. These scars have all itches while healing, and many are itching as I am writing this…including my skin graft donor site which had no melanoma involvement what-so-ever. Further, I have been told by doctors and nurses that itching is a normal part of the healing process, and as such is actually a GOOD sign. I have even been asked by a physical therapist if a scar was itching, as a measure of whether it was healing or not.

                    I can’t comment on the appendix, but that does seem like an odd coincidence.

                    Best regards,
                    Mark (Stage 2A) from California

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