What do I do?? I'm panicking here

[FangedFrisbee]

I have melanoma and I've had surgery recently, now I'm waiting on the results of a lymph node clearance. I don't have the results yet, I have an appointment at the end of may to get my results. I've had scans done to check for tumours elsewhere.

Today I received an invitation to a skin cancer support group for stage 4 patients, the group is 2 days before my results appointment. I feel like I'm in a bit of a spiral at the moment.

I knew I had micro metastasis in one lymph node because I was 'lucky' and it swelled up so they took some fluid from it and checked it before my surgery but that would make me stage 3 not 4. I had a brain scan 2 weeks ago and a full body pet scan 2 days later and now I have this letter to deal with.

I've been out all day and just seen it, I called my consultants secretary and she's not there so I've left a message.

I can understanding why you are panicking but I doubt that letter has anything to do with your recent tests.

Oh OP this sounds tough. I'm not surprised you're panicking but please understand that NHS mistakes are many and often when it comes to this sort of stuff so try not to catastrophism until you've spoken to someone.

On the back of my child's referral letter to School Nurses (rather than CYPS) was an advice letter about weight management....my child was under referral for ADHD and a perfect BMI....the letter was clearly an error.

I can absolutely understand your anxiety OP. (I've had cancer and know the misery of waiting for results like this - bloody scanxiety.) I hope the secretary can reassure you tomorrow. Try not to let your mind run riot now. Deal with facts as they become clear. It's easier said than done I know. Good luck. Look after yourself tonight.

Is there good and bad metastasis?

Have they told you it is stage 3?

That’s really tough. I hope the news is as good as it can be when you hear back. My daughter has a health condition (nothing as serious as this) and we found out in a similar way. She’d had blood tests and then we got a referral letter to a dietitian for a genetic condition we hadn’t even been told she was being tested for. A few days later her consultant referral arrived but it was all out of sync and very stressful.

Yes it's definitely stage 3. I more meant they weren't going to remove all my lymph nodes until one of them swelled up whilst I was waiting for surgery to remove more skin around the original mole, so they took some of the fluid from the lymph node and I got the results before the surgery that it had spread to that 1 lymph node and so they removed them all from under my arm. That's what was 'lucky'