Skin experts???

Good luck with it all MM. Sure youll be okay and youre in the best hands now.

For smoking, also recommend reading the Alan Carr book (smoker not comedian). Im a proper cynic when it comes to self help books but this worked its magic on me.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0718194551

Got to be worth a try at less than the cost of a packet of premium snouts.
 
My other half is an oncology specialist. Just showed her your post and she says if you've not been to see the oncologists yet then they've caught it very early. She says stage 1B is early, it goes from 1 to 4. Anyone that gets a cancer diagnosis will always need some follow up, those who are more serious will get longer follow ups (ie 5 years is the norm), 3 years she'd consider a short period (ie they probably aren't that concerned it will come back). The extra "amputation" is just a precautionary measure to make sure they've got it all. After your operation, they may offer you an appointment with an oncologist to talk things through, but it doesn't necessarily mean they've found anything more.
 
inkey$ said:
Good luck with it all MM. Sure youll be okay and youre in the best hands now.

For smoking, also recommend reading the Alan Carr book (smoker not comedian). Im a proper cynic when it comes to self help books but this worked its magic on me.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0718194551

Got to be worth a try at less than the cost of a packet of premium snouts.

Thanks inkey$ read that book the first I gave up :rofl: it worked for 6 months :thumbsup: I am a bit of a serial giver upper!! Hopfully last time this time.
 
skillick said:
My other half is an oncology specialist. Just showed her your post and she says if you've not been to see the oncologists yet then they've caught it very early. She says stage 1B is early, it goes from 1 to 4. Anyone that gets a cancer diagnosis will always need some follow up, those who are more serious will get longer follow ups (ie 5 years is the norm), 3 years she'd consider a short period (ie they probably aren't that concerned it will come back). The extra "amputation" is just a precautionary measure to make sure they've got it all. After your operation, they may offer you an appointment with an oncologist to talk things through, but it doesn't necessarily mean they've found anything more.

Thanks skillick its good to hear from someone who knows :thumbsup: it's kind of what I have read and what I was thinking but its good to know from someone in the know. Thank your other half for me :thumbsup:

I didn't know about the 3 year thing that's good to know. Seems ages but I guess not in cancer terms.
 
MM- Lose the smokes...your body will thank you.

Good luck with the other. As said, it is not that uncommon. Was in myself a couple of months ago to have a couple of areas "scraped". Part of growing up I guess.
 
On the up side, at least you will have some extra free time and cash to spend on the v8! :thumbsup:
 
Sorry to hear that mon brave. At least they caught it early, they're really good at treating melanoma nowadays. Hope the shins are getting better now too.
As my mother would say, "You've been in the wars".

get well soon!!! :thumbsup:
 
Hey Matt, you do seem to be in the wars these days.

I had a skin cancer removed from my upper left leg about 5 years ago, simple procedure under local anaesthetic by a plastic surgeon, no probs. Last year was much more serious, I had bowel cancer resulting in major surgery but now I'm all fixed up and feeling great 18 months down the line. Just had CT and MRI scans a couple of months ago which are all clear. Just goes to show that catching these things in time is the key.

If I can do it I'm sure you can, you are much younger and fitter than me! I've had a lifetime of boozing and smoking, still haven't quit completely but taking things in moderation now. :D
 
MM, just had basil cell cancer removed from tip of my nose in May this year. Plastic Surgeon had to graft skin so I wouldn't have a crater on the nose. Now it has healed very well and only notice a little discoloration, should go away with time. Not as serious as yours, but I'm confident you will be free of this. I make it a point to get a full body check with my Dermatologist yearly. The sun can do severe damage, so use precaution.
 
Very sorry to hear this Monkey. Melanoma should always be treated seriously as it can be aggressive and metastasise, sometimes years after the original diagnosis. The risk of this relates to the depth to which it extends in the skin, the presence of ulceration, the rate of cell turnover (mitoses) and any lymph node involvement. All of these are considered in the staging system - that yours is at a very early stage is really good news. I would expect excision to be curative without need for chemotherapy etc as long as adequate clear margins of tissue have been taken all around the lesion. If suggested, I would accept any offer of consultation with an oncologist but I would be surprised if they propose any additional treatment beyond that already performed.
You need to be vigilant with monitoring your skin from this point forward. Most of you (perhaps all of you if you're a nudist monkey!) has been exposed to sufficient UV radiation to damage your skin, so you need to monitor areas such as your back, shoulders, forearms and legs for any unusual moles. The rate of a second primary if you've had a previous melanoma can be as much as 12%. The back is the commonest place in men, so make sure your wife is familiar with the bits you can't see yourself! Use high factor sunblock even in the UK summer time and STOP SMOKING as clearly your genome is vulnerable to mutations!
I'm not trying to paint a black picture - I think you will be absolutely fine - but it is important you understand the risk of future problems if you don't look after and keep an eye on your skin.
 
So sorry to hear of your problem Mat - I have no knowledge of these things but from what others in the know have said it sounds like it really has been caught early and you'll be absolutely fine. As regards smoking it makes total sense to knock it on the head - you'll feel a lot fitter and save yourself a wad of cash.

Take care mate.
 
I have skin damage on my forehead from early years of little sun protection and fair skin! I have freckles anyway, but the ones on my forehead are more skin damage. I've had a couple of small dry patches of skin burnt off over the last couple of years, but nothing to be worried about so I'm told. I have to keep an eye on it though as it's likely more will appear as I get older (54 now) and I just need to book myself in to have them treated as these can escalate to skin cancer if left unmonitored!

I don't have all my hair these days (what I have I shave off) so I am now a hat wearer in the summer, even when it's not sunny! To be honest this is another reason I sold the Z4 with a folding roof. The doctor told me to be cautious when driving with the roof down in sunshine. I will be staying away from top down driving from now on! :(

As for the smoking, definitely kick that one!I have never been a smoker and I for one cannot understand anyone that does these days with all that is known about the effects of doing it! We only have one life and we need to try and get as much out of it for as long as we can, and sitting in a hospital in later life is not something I want to be doing thank you! There is enough around these days as we get older that can rob you years off your life without adding to them yourself! If I and my parents had known as much about the effects of the being in the sun as we know now, I'm sure I wouldn't be having these patches in the first place!
 
Thanks for the advice and kind words its cheered me up. I have had a few things go not so well recently this and the other stuff had me in a right old Monkey mooch!! Time for things to start going right i guess :thumbsup:
If i hadn't had my accident on my shines i wouldn't have gone to the doc about the mole. Funny how we see things as bad luck but in fact might have been good!!!

Glad you got the all Clear John very good new :thumbsup: I will have to grab a handful of your pills when i see you next....
 
Thanks Carol i think i will be much happier when the monkey mobile is back up and running :)

Work will start tonight on that..
 
Matt, another mate has been through this. Diagnosed a few months ago, it has spread in a minor way. All removed and just had the all clear. :thumbsup:

Trust the docs and good luck matey!
 
Good luck MM. Got a couple of moles on my shin I've been wondering about getting checked out. No itching or bleeding or anything but maybe after reading this I'll get them looked at :thumbsup:

Best wishes for a very speedy full recovery. :)
 
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