This is my journey through melanoma. In April 2005 a mole on my right shin changed and when removed the pathology indicated that it was melanoma so the plastic/re-constructive surgeon did a wide excision & flap operation along with most of the lymph nodes in the right groin even though they were alright he said he'd remove them just to be sure. Almost three years later in February 2008 my right leg swelled as if I had lymphomdema.

Had tests done returned as inflammatory tissue but kept persisting.After several months the area became sore so my doctor sent me to specialist for some cortisone injections but when he saw the leg he said it looked like the return of the melanoma and could potentially kill me. So off I went to the Sydney Melanoma Unit at North Sydney.

After unltra sound & needle biopsy the results returned a positive result. Then it was off to hospital for a wide excision 8 Centimeters in diameter and down to the bone which had to be burred and skin graft.

Then 3 months later it recurred again on the top edge of the existing area. Had another excision and skin graft. Because it had recurred twice then I was required to undergo radiotherapy for 5 1/2 weeks, which in turn destroyed the skin grafts.

Six weeks after this procedure I was then admitted to hospital for a month as the wound was so badly infected I needed intravenous antibiotics and two more surgical debridements. I was thought to have developed osteo myelitis of the shinbone or tibia as a result of the radiotherapy fortunately this wasn't the case.

Came home from hospital on 10th September and I am still recovering with the wound progressing extremely slowly but I am a survivor and hope to stay that way.

Cheers

Lesley Heffernan :)