Melanoma

Image: www. southcoastmedcenter.com

It's been almost two weeks since I last blogged and this is why.

Heather's melanoma looked like B/malignant - what had started out as a cute heart-shaped mole grew into a clump just like in the picture. She had it removed and then found out that she needed more surgery.

That surgery was a week ago and included removal of seven lymph nodes. Although the path report showed that the melanoma was not the aggressive type, it was still malignant and the lymph nodes had to go.

More skin was removed from the original op site and a skin graft was put in place. The skin graft didn't take, but the surgeon is using it as a biological dressing to help the underlying tissue to granulate. She has a crater in her calf - but considering the alternative -not a bad thing.

Today she did the dressing of the crater and the skin graft donor site herself - without mother/nurse helping. I had showed her last night - she's a fast learner.

Tomorrow I fly home - I'm so glad she was able to do the dressing without needing me.

Oh, yeah - the lymph nodes were negative for any metastasis from the original site. We were over the moon when we heard that! Now we can take our Alaskan cruise next month and really enjoy it!

Please - please - check for any changes of moles - look at the pictures - do you have anything like this? If so - get it checked out.