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First surgery
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First surgery

› Forums › General Melanoma Community › First surgery

  • Post
    • July 1, 2017 at 10:12 am
    cammeronwall
    Participant

      Hi! We went for my WLE and SNB yesterday. It was quite an experience but the nurse's and doctors were so kind. Waiting on my report the next 7-10 days. My nausea and pain across the right side of my face, ear and back of head from drain are managed with Zofran and Percocet. After the node comes back whether positive or negative we'll go from there. All Ct MRI and pets are clear. Biopsy punch was 3-14 and the shave prior was .61. Would it be safe to assume even thought the node may come back clear, it may recur years down the road? Or should we expect to use the Stage 2a level and forget about everything, move forward and that'd the end of that? Camm 

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        • July 1, 2017 at 4:43 pm
        Speedster
        Participant

          Your doctor will have the best information, yet for me, I started at 1A and my dermatologist declared "victory", which was a mistake given the disease had already spread to the adjacent, sentinal lymph node.  IF ONLY he had recommended I see an oncologst to take the next step, sentinal lymph node detection, I would not have advanced to Stage IIIc within 6 months.  That led to an advance to Stage IV nine months later after I failed a clinical trail desigened to stem the advance. 

          I say all that given melanoma can be very agressive and taking a course fo a conservative and aggresive reposnse, not waiing and seeing, would be my recommendation from a very hard experience.  Thank God having advanced so far, the third imunotherapy worked for me and I'm one year NED (No Evidence of Disease).  Whew! 🙂   

            • July 1, 2017 at 4:50 pm
            Jamie1960
            Participant

              +1 on being aggressive; if any procedure, like SLNB, is viewed as being "on the bubble", do it

              • July 1, 2017 at 11:48 pm
              cammeronwall
              Participant

                The SLNB went well. Super painful unless taking Percocet. Anxious to hear results 

              • July 4, 2017 at 12:41 am
              KMick
              Participant

                I was ultimately diagnosed with stage 2a in February 2013 and have stayed at that stage since.  Regular oncology and dermatology appointments since.  It is still a daily worry of "if it will come back to kill me" but it's getting a little better; melanoma doesn't completely consume every waking moment of every day like it once did.  

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