jason1635

Thanks all for the info and personal stories on WLE.  Mine went fine under local, didn't hurt, just odd feeling.  In retrospect glad I did this way, as got to ask surgeon questions during procedure.  10 days later stitches from both excisions came out and doc said no residual lesion (Yeah!!!)  He said it was healing great.  After stitches the smaller scar on my lower back popped open driving to work and later this week the larger melanoma scar popped open with a large circle.  Has this happened to any of you?  My wife an I put manuka honey and sterile pads for a day and then replied new steri strips.  Not sure if they can close the wounds… Doesnt "feel infected" but definitely a lot of clear drainage with some white (not yellow) exudate.

My question, will an open wound like this heal.  Doc said could come back and assess, but likely they would just put a=or check steri strips and give anti biotics.  Anybody gone through this and have a timeline that it atkes to heal an oen wound like this?  Really thankful the path came back with no evidence of residedual disease or lesion, so focusing on the positive after a week of seeping through shirts and awkward/pain feelings in the wounds.  Thanks all happy sunday!

Thank you Janner and Anonymous for the replies and advice.   I have read many of your replies on this site Janner, and can only imagine how much positive impact you have had on so many lives through this website.  I know include myself in that group 🙂  I appreciate it very much.  Mine is in the afternoon, so decided to take the rest of the day off, but will drive to and fro, probably gingerly … THANK YOU

Thank you all, finished the surgeries a few hours ago and they were pretty simple. more awkward and uncomfortable than any real pain.  I just want to thank everybody here for the advice on the dx from my path reports and what to expect from the surgery.  Doc said it was pretyy rare for an upgraded dx on melanoma in situ even with a shave biopsy, so at this point just waiting and hoping for a report back that everything was removed with clear margin.  Not sure what others think but based on some discussion here and my lack of any clearmargins on the shave (he said this was common) he agreed to take a little more than 5MM, more like 7MM.  another sq inch of skin hopefully cheap insurance against reoccurrence or any stray cells.  THANK YOU all the help and support processing a dx that really surprised me (now I know it shouldnt have and need a prev mx plan)  Jason

Thank you very much that will help me with final discussion with surgeon about the margins.  Hopefully they can get it all in the WLE.  You are right about the waiting part.  THANK YOU

Thank you very much!  I was sent to a cancer center and general surgeon.  He couldnt find one of the biopsy scars and after that talked about taking the 5mm margin without fudging or needing more than that.   My path report showed for both moles "extends to all margins", should I ask him to take conservative measure with this (a little larger cut) or should this suffice?  He had obviously seen melanoma before but not his primary area of expertise.  Is a small shave biopsy ofetn extending to all margins?  Mine was .5cm x.4 cm .1 cm, not sure how big the moles were.  Thank you all!  should get scheduled for surgery tomorrow, just want to ask right questions to get it all and not need more in the future or increase my risks.   There was dermal fibroplasia under the moles, is that common or especially risky or associated with malignancy?

Thank you Elaine!  

Thank you all for help navigating both procedure and path report.  Good luck to all of you fighting similar or harder battles.  Best, Jason

Thank you Jenn for the advice about WLE and feedback/interpretation on the path report.  It is helpful and reassuring.  I appreciate you taking the time to post this. all my best to you, Jason

Thanks, was thinking my diagnosis looked pretty positive at first, but looks like it may be more serious.  My friend said Favor melanoma in situ may mean that they are unsure it was that and this was conservative estimate to classify as in situ vs atypical, could this be possible?  THANK YOU

Thanks for the assist D.  Ulceration, depth and mitotic activity were not noted–does that mean not present.  I shared the entire path report.  Doc mention a wide excision, felt my lymph nodes said they were fine and that at "this stage"  surgery was next step.  thanks and good luck to you also.  Jason