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Hardly been on here since Christmas - RL has taken over a bit in the last few weeks.

Today I received the awful news that my son (only 18) who had a mole removed at Christmas has been diagnosed with Melanoma. I am in bits at the moment, will know more detail after the next hospital appointment, but was wondering if anyone on here has any experience of this - good or bad?

I coped with myself being diagnosed with cancer and my mum getting cancer, but it's a whole different ball game when it's a child.

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bloody hell Moomin!!!

 

I was about to come in and make a flippant comment about it not being exam result time yet...  Was not expecting to read your OP.

 

What can I say?   I have no experience of this (thank god)...    and whilst I am sure they have probably caught it early (surely... if it was advanced you wouldn't be waiting for a hospital appointment... things would be happening really really fast?)..   I am sitting here totally terrified for you!

 

I don't know what to say Moomin..  

Dirtyprettygirlthing

Thanks friends.

 

It has taken such a long time to get the results that I was thinking that no news was good news.

Apparently because he is so young, it was difficult to diagnose, and had to be sent to an expert in London. I am hoping (straw clutching) that because it was difficult to diagnose it was in an early stage as it looked nothing like the pictures that you see when you google it - it just looked like a raised mole which had grown while he was in his first term at uni.

As long as it hasn't spread I think the prognosis may be quite good, but I will wait and see.

I will not tell him until I get the appointment thro - he is having such a good time at Hull, I don't want to make him miserable before I have to.

 

He doesn't even go out in the sun that much  

Moomin

I wanted to reply to your thread before Moomin, but I wanted to talk to my friend has who has recovered from this and just last week was signed off after 10 years. She, like your boy, never sought the sun, so don't fret in that respect. She had stage 3 level and was diagosed at 43 and was treated well by St Guys and St Thomas in London.

 

It's not a walk in the park for sure but my friend is happy to pass on her experiences and support info that she found so helpful and that helped all her family and friends too. Drop me a PM up top because she is comfortable about trying to help you. ^^^ She is happy to communicate with you but if you are unsure about this, I'm more than happy to be an intermediary. 

 

Don't lose heart Moomin. 

Xochi

Finally had hospital appointment with son today. They poked and prodded and checked for any more moles. The Doctor said that clinically he can say it has not spread (thank God) but to be absolutely certain they want to do a CT scan in 2 weeks to make completely sure. Then they will see us and decide what to do next - hopefully just another dig in the same area.

Unfortunately where it is (upper part of face) there is little skin to play around with so we are talking skin graft. My son said people are already asking what he has done to his face, so is worried even more that after this he will constantly be asked.

Can you imagine- people in shops asking you what you've done to your face cos there's a scar on it? Insensitive or what? I can't imagine I'd ask a total stranger that question. Weird.

Anyway - hopefully in two weeks time we will be celebrating that that is ALL that has to be done.

 

Ditty - I think you are in touch with Xochi - who has been helping me with a bit of info - and I wonder if you could let her know the latest.

Thanks

Moomin

Glad you have had good news Moomin! Sounds like the scan is just a formality, hope it comes round quickly for you all, you've been waiting long enough.

 

As for the people asking him about his face, i'd prepare a joke/line/ quip that will make them realise how stupid they are, can't think of anything off the top of my head though......

Jen-Star

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