Jeanie

I think I am uncomfortable because there is so much more to this surgery than when I had a biopsy from a node in my abdomen.  I have to go in and see the anesthesiologist and have xrays and testing and it’s called a pre admit and I dont know what else.  Also, I have to stop all my meds and supplement 7 days before the surgery.  My surgery is called Nuclear Medicine Lymph General/Melanoma.  She wants my Directive before the surgery and I looked at the contract that she rushed me through and she is not employed by City of Hope, neither her nor the anesthesiologist. And in the contract I had to pre agree to blood transfusions in the event that I need them.  Now, I put the diagnoses
which is:A. SKIN, RIGHT ELBOW, SHAVE BIOPSY:

• Invasive melanoma, superficial spreading type, Breslow thickness 1.3 mm, Clark level III, nonulcerated
• Tumor present very close to deep and peripheral tissue edges
• Pathologic stage (AJCC eighth edition): pT2a

I cant seem to wrap my head around why is there so much to this somewhat minor surgery?  I felt pretty confident because I thought she was part of City of Hope but now I find she’s an independent contractor and so is the anesthesiologist.   Was it this technical and so many rules when all of you had your wide excision and sentinal lymph gland removal ?

Thank you so much for your responses.  Because of your comments I am going forward with the surgery.   I’ve always had confidence in City of Hope.  It’s why i drive 1000 miles round trip.  But just when I thought i had a handle on the leukemia, this hit.  I met a lot of nice people on zoom over the pandemic and now you.  I feel resigned to go.  I’ve read and talked with people and feel like I have the understanding to make a decision.  They just moved so fast at city and I felt like I didnt have a voice.  Mainly, because I just didnt know how very serious melanoma is and how hard it is when you find it late.  I found mine early.  I knew it was melanoma even though I’ve always had moles.  But I couldnt get anyone to see me here in Sacramento.  I went to southern california to see my first great grandson made an appointment at city of hope for the same time.  Even the dermatologist didnt think it was melanoma that’s why he just took a shave biopsy.  I didnt take it seriously because no one else did.  But reading about it is pretty scary.  It travels thru the blood vessels and lymph.  I just thought it was like a basel cell.  Again, I am blown away by your kindness and knowledge.

I spoke to the american cancer society and they suggested that I ask them for a good explanation of why they want to remove lymph nodes because of it causing lymphedema.  That makes sense to me because it seems the lymph is blocked and swelling occurs when a node is removed.  There are non invasive ways of checking nodes for cancer i.e. ct, ultra sound, etc.  Has anyone on the forum had lymphedema following a lymph gland removal?  Has anyone had non invasive ways of checking lymph nodes?

I am so sorry Ellen, you must be very scared.  This is a scary disease.  What kind of immunotherapy are you getting?