› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Newbie, needing answers
- This topic has 21 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 9 years, 5 months ago by
Kim K.
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- November 23, 2014 at 7:57 pm
Diagnosed w melanoma at the end of October. T3 3.25 and Clark level 4.
Ok so WEL/SNB were completed on Thursday. Ended up both underarms were done. My back feels fine but wow, underarms are tough! Doctor says I can't wear a bra or deodorant until post op.
How do you do this in the business world? I went out and bought big button down shirts and sweaters. Do people stay home or go to work? I have long term sick/short term disability insurance but I don't know if this is appropriate or not.
Ant practicle advice is truly appreciated!
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- November 23, 2014 at 9:22 pm
I had both arms done a couple of years ago and what I remember most was how hard the first week was. I had swelling under both arms that looked like oranges had been implanted during the procedure. The second week was better. I wish you the best of luck. Ed
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- November 23, 2014 at 9:22 pm
I had both arms done a couple of years ago and what I remember most was how hard the first week was. I had swelling under both arms that looked like oranges had been implanted during the procedure. The second week was better. I wish you the best of luck. Ed
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- November 23, 2014 at 9:22 pm
I had both arms done a couple of years ago and what I remember most was how hard the first week was. I had swelling under both arms that looked like oranges had been implanted during the procedure. The second week was better. I wish you the best of luck. Ed
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- November 24, 2014 at 5:39 am
I took time off work. If you work in a corporate environment, you should def qualify for short term if you want it… but depending on how your recovery goes, you might not need enough time to make the hassle of short term worth it. I used short term. It bought be an extra week that I would have used vacation. I also was in no rush to get back to work, I wanted to just focus on recovery and health. But everyone’s recovery is different!Regarding not wearing a bra, I wore ribbed tank tops as they are flexible. They are not so tight that they put pressure on your wound, but tight enough to keep dressings in place and feel like you have a little something. Not sure if you have a drain, but the ribbed ranks worked perfectly when I had a drain because the tank would hold the drain in place so it wasn’t flapping around loosely.
Hope that helps! Sorry if this reads weird, typing on my phone.
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- November 24, 2014 at 5:39 am
I took time off work. If you work in a corporate environment, you should def qualify for short term if you want it… but depending on how your recovery goes, you might not need enough time to make the hassle of short term worth it. I used short term. It bought be an extra week that I would have used vacation. I also was in no rush to get back to work, I wanted to just focus on recovery and health. But everyone’s recovery is different!Regarding not wearing a bra, I wore ribbed tank tops as they are flexible. They are not so tight that they put pressure on your wound, but tight enough to keep dressings in place and feel like you have a little something. Not sure if you have a drain, but the ribbed ranks worked perfectly when I had a drain because the tank would hold the drain in place so it wasn’t flapping around loosely.
Hope that helps! Sorry if this reads weird, typing on my phone.
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- November 24, 2014 at 5:39 am
I took time off work. If you work in a corporate environment, you should def qualify for short term if you want it… but depending on how your recovery goes, you might not need enough time to make the hassle of short term worth it. I used short term. It bought be an extra week that I would have used vacation. I also was in no rush to get back to work, I wanted to just focus on recovery and health. But everyone’s recovery is different!Regarding not wearing a bra, I wore ribbed tank tops as they are flexible. They are not so tight that they put pressure on your wound, but tight enough to keep dressings in place and feel like you have a little something. Not sure if you have a drain, but the ribbed ranks worked perfectly when I had a drain because the tank would hold the drain in place so it wasn’t flapping around loosely.
Hope that helps! Sorry if this reads weird, typing on my phone.
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- November 24, 2014 at 8:35 am
Damn, both sides….
Well imagine this, I had my SNB while still on crutches for ACL surgery. It was August in Georgia. Sorry but the no deoderant didn't work so well, and OMG! the stubble from not shaving!!! All that was too much to bear so I very carefully shaved around the incision and likewise placed my deoderant. I plucked my pit hairs near the incision for comfort.
My stubble, the stink and sweat made my incision worse I think and I felt so much better after I took care of business on my own. Yes it was against Dr.'s orders but for me personally, was much needed. I also worked with the general public as a relief veterinarian which made it harder since I wasn't the "regular" doc. To stink and sweat as well as come on in with stiches on my back, right armpit, on crutches, and sutures in my knee that weren't even the same color was too much – LOL.
Just be careful, but I couldn't stand being a stinky, sweaty cactus.
Best of luck, hoping for NED.
Hugs,
Kim
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- November 24, 2014 at 8:35 am
Damn, both sides….
Well imagine this, I had my SNB while still on crutches for ACL surgery. It was August in Georgia. Sorry but the no deoderant didn't work so well, and OMG! the stubble from not shaving!!! All that was too much to bear so I very carefully shaved around the incision and likewise placed my deoderant. I plucked my pit hairs near the incision for comfort.
My stubble, the stink and sweat made my incision worse I think and I felt so much better after I took care of business on my own. Yes it was against Dr.'s orders but for me personally, was much needed. I also worked with the general public as a relief veterinarian which made it harder since I wasn't the "regular" doc. To stink and sweat as well as come on in with stiches on my back, right armpit, on crutches, and sutures in my knee that weren't even the same color was too much – LOL.
Just be careful, but I couldn't stand being a stinky, sweaty cactus.
Best of luck, hoping for NED.
Hugs,
Kim
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- November 24, 2014 at 8:35 am
Damn, both sides….
Well imagine this, I had my SNB while still on crutches for ACL surgery. It was August in Georgia. Sorry but the no deoderant didn't work so well, and OMG! the stubble from not shaving!!! All that was too much to bear so I very carefully shaved around the incision and likewise placed my deoderant. I plucked my pit hairs near the incision for comfort.
My stubble, the stink and sweat made my incision worse I think and I felt so much better after I took care of business on my own. Yes it was against Dr.'s orders but for me personally, was much needed. I also worked with the general public as a relief veterinarian which made it harder since I wasn't the "regular" doc. To stink and sweat as well as come on in with stiches on my back, right armpit, on crutches, and sutures in my knee that weren't even the same color was too much – LOL.
Just be careful, but I couldn't stand being a stinky, sweaty cactus.
Best of luck, hoping for NED.
Hugs,
Kim
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- November 25, 2014 at 8:23 am
I moved back home to Hawaii 7 years ago but lived south of the gnat line for 16! I don't miss the dog days of summer, but miss the long hours of sunshine, wakeboarding on the Flint River, visiting Hotlanta, Farmer Brown's Elberta peaches, pecans from the orchard, hoppin' john, oysters, Helen GA, river rafting, changing of the seasons, moss in the cypress trees, mist rising from the river in the fall – but not suicidal deer or icy roads…..
I lived in a small area called Drayton, halfway between Vienna & Americus.
I love to piss off my Dr's by finding humor under devastating circumstances. I always write on my surgery site, and for my WLE / SNB wrote on my back "No gold here, already excavated". My idiot derm did a WLE PRIOR to an SNB, hell he didn't even mention it.
I am bound and determined to DO mel and not let it DO me come #ell or high water. I will go down kicking and screaming to the end. In this case I was the big dog and won. My mel peed itself and dissappeared down its hidey hole to never come out again. I only wish more can say the same.
I had a 2.06 mm, Clark IV back in 2002. Progressed to IV in 2009, VATS and IL-2 (23 bags) in 2010, and NED again since 6/2010.
Wishing you the best. Always laugh at smurfy blue pee…..
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- November 25, 2014 at 8:23 am
I moved back home to Hawaii 7 years ago but lived south of the gnat line for 16! I don't miss the dog days of summer, but miss the long hours of sunshine, wakeboarding on the Flint River, visiting Hotlanta, Farmer Brown's Elberta peaches, pecans from the orchard, hoppin' john, oysters, Helen GA, river rafting, changing of the seasons, moss in the cypress trees, mist rising from the river in the fall – but not suicidal deer or icy roads…..
I lived in a small area called Drayton, halfway between Vienna & Americus.
I love to piss off my Dr's by finding humor under devastating circumstances. I always write on my surgery site, and for my WLE / SNB wrote on my back "No gold here, already excavated". My idiot derm did a WLE PRIOR to an SNB, hell he didn't even mention it.
I am bound and determined to DO mel and not let it DO me come #ell or high water. I will go down kicking and screaming to the end. In this case I was the big dog and won. My mel peed itself and dissappeared down its hidey hole to never come out again. I only wish more can say the same.
I had a 2.06 mm, Clark IV back in 2002. Progressed to IV in 2009, VATS and IL-2 (23 bags) in 2010, and NED again since 6/2010.
Wishing you the best. Always laugh at smurfy blue pee…..
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- November 25, 2014 at 8:23 am
I moved back home to Hawaii 7 years ago but lived south of the gnat line for 16! I don't miss the dog days of summer, but miss the long hours of sunshine, wakeboarding on the Flint River, visiting Hotlanta, Farmer Brown's Elberta peaches, pecans from the orchard, hoppin' john, oysters, Helen GA, river rafting, changing of the seasons, moss in the cypress trees, mist rising from the river in the fall – but not suicidal deer or icy roads…..
I lived in a small area called Drayton, halfway between Vienna & Americus.
I love to piss off my Dr's by finding humor under devastating circumstances. I always write on my surgery site, and for my WLE / SNB wrote on my back "No gold here, already excavated". My idiot derm did a WLE PRIOR to an SNB, hell he didn't even mention it.
I am bound and determined to DO mel and not let it DO me come #ell or high water. I will go down kicking and screaming to the end. In this case I was the big dog and won. My mel peed itself and dissappeared down its hidey hole to never come out again. I only wish more can say the same.
I had a 2.06 mm, Clark IV back in 2002. Progressed to IV in 2009, VATS and IL-2 (23 bags) in 2010, and NED again since 6/2010.
Wishing you the best. Always laugh at smurfy blue pee…..
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