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Malignant Melanoma

Posted by bluehorse10 @bluehorse10, Nov 24, 2023

A few years ago my skin was bleeding. No reason. I went to a dermatologist and they tested me. I had 2 malignant areas but went to Mohrs surgery. One was a large tumor and they are not surgeons and left me terribly disfigured on that entire side of my face. The other was only a little disfigured, but it was not the right spot. The dr. forgot to mark one area. I tried to tell people since then, but they insist they got it. I told them it was a scar from a dog bite years ago. It is true. I had a bite there. So I have been back and keep asking about the one that is a melanoma. No one will look at it. It is as if they do not believe me. But there is only a small mark on it now on the skin surface. Under the skin is enlarged, itches and doesn't feel right. It has a darker color, shape of an almost circle. I have worried about it but no one is doing anything to check it. I know. To them the skin looks pretty good. They think it is all done, but I can see it, feel it, and know it is there. What to do from here? I tried to go to oncology but i need the dermatology referral. Am I just being paranoid?

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gardeningjunkie | @gardeningjunkie | Nov 25, 2023

I don't understand why your doctor is not investigating or at least referring you to an oncologist. You definitely should be concerned and need answers. Are you in the US or in a country with limited medical?
If you had a radical removal of the melanoma site I assume they also biopsied the closest lymph nodes for metastasis. If so did they also remove the cancerous lymph node/nodes? Did they judge your melanoma site to be Insitu, meaning no metastasis. I am not up to date as to melanoma treatment drugs if spread.
My husband of 53 years had radical melanoma surgery on his back lower torso 46 years ago. It was judged to be malignant, meaning some of the cells in the melanoma nest had ruptured open and they removed 122 square inches in the area surrounding the melanoma, removing all tissue down to the muscle, then pulling and stitching what they could and then skin grafting an area about the size of a football. He never had the dark color or shape you are evidencing. Evidently they got it all, it hadn't spread past the radical surgery area. He's healthy today at 76, yet has had 2 more surgeries in the last 5 years for melanoma, forehead and behind his ear, both were Insitu, meaning no metastasis.
One surgery was basic Mohs and the other was a Mohs but the nest has tentacles and they had to go deeper, still the cells had not ruptured and were intact and the surgeon was sure it was all removed.
You are not paranoid. Melanoma is nothing to ignore.
Please keep us updated.
Photos of latest Melanoma: removal, 3 weeks later, 2 months later. First scraping showed tenacles leading to melanoma out of the excised section so a second cutting, much deeper removed the rest of the melanoma nest Initially lower section was stitched and the upper area skin grafted. Skin graft healed.

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1 reply
bluehorse10 | @bluehorse10 | Nov 25, 2023
In reply to @gardeningjunkie "I don't understand why your doctor is not investigating or at least referring you to an..." + (show)
@gardeningjunkie

I don't understand why your doctor is not investigating or at least referring you to an oncologist. You definitely should be concerned and need answers. Are you in the US or in a country with limited medical?
If you had a radical removal of the melanoma site I assume they also biopsied the closest lymph nodes for metastasis. If so did they also remove the cancerous lymph node/nodes? Did they judge your melanoma site to be Insitu, meaning no metastasis. I am not up to date as to melanoma treatment drugs if spread.
My husband of 53 years had radical melanoma surgery on his back lower torso 46 years ago. It was judged to be malignant, meaning some of the cells in the melanoma nest had ruptured open and they removed 122 square inches in the area surrounding the melanoma, removing all tissue down to the muscle, then pulling and stitching what they could and then skin grafting an area about the size of a football. He never had the dark color or shape you are evidencing. Evidently they got it all, it hadn't spread past the radical surgery area. He's healthy today at 76, yet has had 2 more surgeries in the last 5 years for melanoma, forehead and behind his ear, both were Insitu, meaning no metastasis.
One surgery was basic Mohs and the other was a Mohs but the nest has tentacles and they had to go deeper, still the cells had not ruptured and were intact and the surgeon was sure it was all removed.
You are not paranoid. Melanoma is nothing to ignore.
Please keep us updated.
Photos of latest Melanoma: removal, 3 weeks later, 2 months later. First scraping showed tenacles leading to melanoma out of the excised section so a second cutting, much deeper removed the rest of the melanoma nest Initially lower section was stitched and the upper area skin grafted. Skin graft healed.

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Thank you for writing. With the first surgery they said they had gotten it all. No comment on the other. No one grasps what I say about the one that is active now, not even looking seriously or testing. But I also said I had a growth on my hair and the dermatologist said it was just an ingrown hair without looking at it.
I made my own appointment with an oncologist because I feel as you do, that it is nothing to ignore, but they needed a referral from the same derm. clinic I've already seen several times. It is a U hospital and all are connected so the information they pass on will be what I already know from them. I think this time I will go to another hospital and try to place all of this information before them and hope they do something. Of course, they will do another test, which is good, but I hate waiting all of the time and hoping they understand this situation. And as you said, I should have seen an oncologist sooner.
Your husband had a very rough time. He looks like he has healed well and I hope he has no more of these needing attention.
Thank you again. Your letter is intelligent and helpful for me.

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