Melanoma, Music and Me: The Next Step... (More photo's...)

The time between me having my operation and getting the results seemed to go really fast, but be never-ending at the same time. I attended Uni for most of it, and tried to carry on as normal. My results were scheduled for 17th March and when we went to get them, I was far from optimistic. I just had a feeling it wouldn't be good news, and as much as everyone tried to change my mind, I was convinced. And I wasn't wrong.

When we went in, they didn't beat around the bush, and told me they'd found cancer in the lymph they'd removed. This really scared me, as the tumour itself had been gone for a good two months before my lymph operation, meaning that the cancer had just been sitting there, doing what it fancied, for two whole months. Quite a long time in cancer terms. The next step was another operation, an auxiliary clearance, to remove all of the lymphs from under my left armpit. I'm still getting to grips with what a huge operation this is. This was booked in for the next Friday (again, very speedy NHS!) and we were left with another week of waiting. I took this time to go home, to see my Nan, see my friends, and to take part in a talent show-why not!!

The next Friday followed the same formation as the Wednesday almost exactly a month before. Nil by mouth, up at the crack of dawn. But this time I was taken straight through to the operation, meaning I was seen just after 8.30, so I didn't have hours to contemplate my thirst!! Even though I had a heavy cold, they went ahead (worth remembering!) and off I was taken to another room, administered more drugs, and sent into a blissful sleep, after an emotional goodbye to Mom and Rich.

I woke up several hours later on a ward, incredibly groggy, more so than before, and attached to more bits of equipment then I could register. After trying to stay awake (and failing) and a rather uncomfortable encounter with a commode, I went off to sleep, without realising what hurt or why, but only after my whole body had been enveloped in really strange pins and needles which I was told was because of the weird positions I'd been put in that day. Nice.

The next day was a different story. I was very sore, and very sleepy still. My armpit smelt really bad. I kept saying like Lasagne, but not that good. When I went to look at what was there, I was shocked by the size of the wound, and the massive cave under my armpit that my lacking-lymphs had left. Because of the nature of the operation, and all the excess fluid that would be floating around, I was fitted with a drain, which I was attached to, 24 hours a day. They put it in a little bag for me to carry around, and I actually became fond of this little bag! Each day was almost exciting to wake up to find out how much fluid was in there, as when it had dropped enough, I was allowed to have it out!! Alas, that was a lot slower than I had hoped (obviously!)

The week in hospital wasn't, in hindsight, toooo bad-although I was begging to be let go in the end! I spent the week sleeping (lots) watching lots of telly and generally recuperating! I got up each day, had a wash, changed pyjamas and put my lenses in and awaited for the daily visit from the doctors-I wanted to retain some sort of normality!! I also met some real characters on the ward: Molly, who's husband had run her over, Jean, the lovely lady who had had cancer 4 times, but was in because of a bad leg, a woman called S. White which was funny, and all of the lovely nurses who laughed at me every day for having Earl Grey tea! Because the lymphs drain liquid, without them there is all this excess liquid that the body has to get used to getting rid of itself, so after the operation, One of the biggest excitements of each day was having my drain measured to see how much was being drained each day!

After a week, I was let home, after lots of lovely visits from all sorts of people, and daily visits from my mom and Richard. However, I still had my drain in. For the next week I had to go back to the hospital every day to get my drain checked. After another week it was finally removed and I was shocked by how long the tube was! There was at least a foot of tube in my armpit!!! Where, I'm not entirely sure... A further 2 weeks passed, and then I got the results that the rest of my lymphs were clear. This meant that life could continue :)

Morning after surgery: