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Topic: Upate-Good News


Topic Posted by: Wendy
Date Posted: Sat Mar 8 10:55:31 2008
Additional Comments: Well pretty good news all in all. Both of my spots ended up being Melanonas-which is the most serious type of skin cancer BUT-I caught them very early. The Melanona In-Situ (science lesson-meaning in place-no chance what so ever of spreading, or coming back-did not invade an other level of skin except the surface had clear margins from the biopsy done in the Dr's. office. The other one was not a squamous cell as I oringaly thought, but a malignant melanoma-which is not good BUT once again I caught it really early. Its a ''thin'' melanona-the margins were not clear on this one but were very very close. So the surgeon wants to cut it out deeper and wider. There is just a bit more tissue and nerve involvement that he doesnt want to do it locally. If I am totally opposed to being out he will. Im and so NOT opposed. So it will be done in the hospital under a general anesthetic, but in the out pt. procedure area, I can go home the same day. He will have to do no lymph node biopsy, no radiation, no chemo. Once its out and determined the margins are clear, its done, its over with, it will not re-occur.

Q-He said Im a good girl for doing my homework. I asked about the Moh's procedure. He said it is done on basal and squamous only and GENERALLY on an area of the body where the tissue is thinner and you want minimal scarring ie: face, under eye/eyelid, neck, decotauge', hands etc.
I (well Hubby) did my research, he called just about every person from the OR charge nurse, to OR secretary, to OR janitor and asked about my Surgeon and I did online searches (Helps to work in a hospital). All the big thumbs up, Plus I really liked him. OR scheduled for St.Paddys Day! I should be back at work the next day.
2 Hurdles down (almost). 1 to go. I go back to the OB.GYN on Tueday.





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Posted by: Stella
Date posted: Tue Mar 11 17:22:08 2008
Message:
Glad to hear the good news! We needed some!!

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Posted by: Sandigal
Date posted: Tue Mar 11 14:44:27 2008
Message:
Glad to hear it, Wendy!!  :)  We'll keep praying that everything keeps going smoothly!!!!!

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Posted by: Paige
Date posted: Tue Mar 11 7:47:24 2008
Message:
Wendy, I'm so glad to hear this! I will continue to keep you in my thoughts and prayers and please keep us updated!

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Posted by: Cassie
Date posted: Tue Mar 11 4:40:09 2008
Message:
So glad and relieved that you came back with good news! These things are so scary! I hope so much that the pap test will turn out fine as well for you! When is St. Parick's day?

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Posted by: Cassie
Date posted: Tue Mar 11 4:24:38 2008
Message:
So glad and relieved that you came back with good news! These things are so scary! I hope so much that the pap test will turn out fine as well for you! When is St. Parick's day?

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Posted by: Bauer
Date posted: Mon Mar 10 11:55:48 2008
Message:
I'm so glad to hear this!  I've been checking in and praying like crazy!  Will be keeping good thoughts on St. Paddy's Day for ya!

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Posted by: P
Date posted: Sun Mar 9 9:07:35 2008
Message:
I'm so glad to read this - I've been keeping good thoughts for you.  I was remembering a couple of years ago I took Son to the doctor for something and while we were there he said oh yeah and he pulled up his shirt and asked the doctor to look at a mole - the doctor immediately took some for biopsy (just like my breast lump, no scheduling just immediate).  They did have to cut it out but thank God all is ok.  You sure have had your share come to you all at once.  I am staying positive about your pap - seems there are more concerns lately - or is it just my family - get a lot of results that are of a concern but all ends up ok - thank goodness.  Please know I am keeping you in my prayers and let us know how your next appt goes!!!

Replies: (list all replies)

  • Wendy-The Pap was normal! Now Im just waiting tor the results of the enodmetrial biopsy-which I will find out Tuesday-If all is well I will procedure with an Endometrial Ablation, if not Bye Bye Uterus!
  • P)Oh ok, sorry I missed that somehow. I had that ablation thing a couple years ago now (had endomyosis) - the doctor said if it didn't work then a hysterectomy for me too - but so far so good, knocking on wood - hope your's goes well!
  • Wendy-The Pap was just a wee bit funky, The Cone Biopsy was great, The internal Ultrasound was great, now Im just waiting for the Endo Biopsy (tomorrow). If all is well I will go ahead with the ablation, In fact Im praying for it. Not to get too personal-but does Auntie Flo still visit you since youve had the ablation??
  • P)Yeah (sorry) but much more manageable, if you know what I mean - nowadays it's very short, barely notice it - which is nice
  • My sister had the ablation and no more Aunt Flo...Stella

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    Posted by: annieR
    Date posted: Sat Mar 8 19:43:40 2008
    Message:
    Wendy!  I haven't been on the board in awhile so I got both messages at the same time.  I'm so glad it worked out and is being taken care of.  Yay!!

    Replies: (list all replies)

  • Wendy- I tell ya-Its heck being a woman, especially an aging one!x

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    Posted by: sam
    Date posted: Sat Mar 8 18:38:42 2008
    Message:
    I came here to see if you posted and I'm so glad you got good news!

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  • [kp] Same here!

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    Posted by: suziQ
    Date posted: Sat Mar 8 11:47:35 2008
    Message:

    My husband had Mohs on his temple when they thought it was squamous cell. It was that doctor who felt it was malignant melanoma and sent the biopsy to another lab.  The first lab had erroneous findings TWICE. The second lab saw the "spindle cells" right away.  The surgeon was very concerned that much time had elapsed since the first wrong biopsy...about a year had gone by without any treatment.  He went in for surgery. It was same day for him and because it was on his face, they couldn't put him totally out. If they had to intubate him, the air hose would have interfered with the surgeon. So they gave him that twilight sleep stuff.   He remembered nothing, however.  He had a plastic surgeon lined up to finish the job since it was on his face and they had to do skin grafts.  He healed very nicely and it's very hard to see any scarring, although immediately after the surgery he looked like his face had gone through a windshield!

    Now, they will probably tell you to have checks with a dermatologist every 4 to 6 months for a while, and then they'll spread it out to every year.  My husband actually had full body CTs once a year for about 3 or 4 years.  They may tell you that there is no "if you make it past 5 years you're home free" situation with melanomas, but certainly, the longer you go without more popping up, the better.  You may never get another one or one could pop up tomorrow. The thing is, you now know what to look for and you'll always be on top of it.

    Interestingly enough, when my husband had his stroke, the first thing the doctors thought it was caused by a burst brain metastisis from that melanoma. But they searched and searched and saw nothing related to a melanoma and no metatsisis at all.  The stroke's cause is still a mystery.  The point is, this will now always be part of your medical history and you need to tell docs about it whenever you see someone new.  You are so smart to have taken care of this immediately, trust me on that!  I'm so glad this news is good!!!! 

    Replies: (list all replies)

  • Q) forgot to ask. the Lymph node biopsy. Are they going to do something called 'sentinal node'? They will inject a dye near the lesion(s) and see which lymphnode is closest to where the melanoma is. They take that one out and test it. If it's clear, then nothing spread. In the past, they'd take out a bunch of nodes, not knowing which one to test. This way, they only do one node -- the first one in line (thus 'sentinal') The injection may burn, but maybe they'll do that when you are knocked out. Sometimes they do what they call a Wide Lateral Excision, where they remove tissue around where the original melanoma was, just to make sure there aren't any rogue melanoma cells hanging out, waiting to erupt! That's my knowledge in a nutshell.
  • (Wendy)-I asked alot of questions about a Sentinal node biopsy too. He said in the past, it was a given, now not always necessarily so-The closest place would be my armpit. Since it was so thin and the margin was so close it just wasnt necessary. I have the path report (cant find it right at this moment) and Ive totally researched it, The Clarks Scale, the numerical Tp scale.. Ive had an oncology nurse I work with and a radation oncology nurse that I know both go over the path results. They both totally concur with the Dr. and told me not to worry, This Was caught very very early. I was not lax on my research believe me.
  • Q) Oh, I know you wouldn't have been lax! Especially with your background (and Keene's) with the medical profession. I'm so glad things worked out!

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