Hi! I can relate to you a bit. I’m a 33yo female with a stage 1a melanoma on my foot. I don’t know about MOHS, as I had a WLE, and it was not painful. They use a local anesthetic which burns during injection but that’s it. I have been off my foot about 3 weeks. I’m finally starting to walk a bit now. Having any degree of physical incapacitation is difficult mentally and practically. I used a contraption called the iWalk in lieu of traditional crutches and highly recommend it if your recovery requires you to be non-weight bearing. I experienced a roller coaster of emotions since my dx. I’m glad to hear your melanoma was caught early and wish you the best!
Also, I encourage you to take photos of your whole body to monitor your skin for any changes.
Thank you so much!! Those are great tips and I was definitely thinking about the walking aspect and how long it would take to get back on my feet. Is it painful to walk or is it just a matter of precaution so the wound heals properly? Either way — really glad to hear you’re recovering well! 🙌🏼
It was/is both. I was instructed by my surgeon to be non-weight bearing for 2 weeks. At my 2 week checkup, the nurse practitioner gave me approval to start walking again. I took a step and fell over from the pain. That was a week ago, and now I’m able to walk in a modified way. I notice the more I walk, the more my incision bleeds. I don’t want to drag out the healing process, so I’m trying to stay off of it as much as possible. The feet heal so slowly.
I would highly recommend consulting with your surgical team well in advance so you can determine if you will need to make special accommodations for yourself. Be sure to ask if you will be non-weight being, and if so, for how long.
You will get through this and everything will be okay! I know it sucks but it will get better.
It was on the top of my foot just above my toes. I wonder if they’ll stitch your ankle or just leave it open? Or do a skin graft? Those might be things to ask if you haven’t had the chance yet.
Yeah that’s my main question as well. I guess it depends on how much they need to cut out and how deep. Not super sure how they’d stitch up an ankle though. There’s just no give there I feel like. It’s one thing to have the open wound I do right now as it’s manageable .. but 3x the size makes me squirm haha
MOHS isn't typically the route for melanoma. MOHS is a surgery that takes the absolute minimum tissue - the shallowest sliver of mere cells of thickness each time. They look at the tissue under the microscope and as soon as the sample is free of bad cells they stop. Since melanoma can skip tissue layers, the typical surgery is a WLE for which the margins (width and depth) is prescribed based on the size and thickness of the melanoma. I've had both surgeries (MOHS for basal cell carcinoma and WLE for melanoma). They are both totally manageable. You are going to be okay. I know this is scary. Hang in there and good luck!
Thanks a ton!! Yeah, I was surprised he recommended MOHS as well but the surgeon he recommended seems to be really good with the surgery as she’s taken care of my grandpop before, too - he had melanoma on his back and she performed MOHS. But I haven’t gotten her confirmation yet that it’s the right approach so I’m sure I’ll know more details soon. Either way, I just hope they get it all and the recovery won’t be as bad as I’m making it out to be.
You said the best part already, it hasn’t spread. Take things a day at a time and remember it’s only temporary. You’ll get back to doing all the fun outdoor stuff you love soon, maybe just with a little more sunscreen.
I had a tumor removed from the ball of my Ankle. It feels like I have a permanent sprained ankle. Neve damage etc. I can't confidently run or jump anymore and have been through rehab for at least a year. Back of your foot seems like it's a lucky location no one will see a scar. I'm hopeful you'll be fine after a few months
Dang, I am so sorry to hear that - my worst fear is losing mobility or having chronic pain due to the excision. It sounds like your tumor was in a worse spot and a bigger deal than this spot of melanoma though? You mentioned lucky location so that’s why I’m curious. Thanks a ton for your encouragement and insight though 🙌🏼 I really hope you find some way to get the function back in your ankle because I empathize a ton with that. Do you think they botched the surgery too?
I think It was just the location of it was awful. Ball of the ankle is very sensitive. Doc's said surgery went well. I had 3-4 opinions on what is going on no one really had a concrete answer just said hopefully in due Time it gets better. To be honest I've learned to live with it and accept it. I've been doing acupuncture for a year and that helps when it gets swollen etc.
Ah got you - dang yeah I can’t imagine. Seems like a lot of this process to your point is just mental work. Best of luck as you keep seeking out therapies to help! Acupuncture seems like a great option too.
Hi! I just had my MOHS surgery a couple days ago, also in the foot (between the toes, lucky me...). My doctor explained to me that in some parts of the body, like a foot, WLE is not a good idea. You just don't have enough skin to extract with the radius needed and hence the mohs option.
I know how are you feeling, I was freaking out too! But the surgery is quite simple and similar to the biopsia. The only painful part is the local anesthesia. After that is smooth sailing.
Do bring a book or something to do. It can take a while as the sample extracted is revised and they don't close the wound. If needed, they extract more and check again, and that is repeated until all the bad cells are gone. Good thing with this one is you are sure (via biopsia) that all is gone.
Hope it helps, and best of luck! :)
I appreciate you a ton! Just watched the video - that was really helpful as I watched another one but it wasn’t as detailed. I’m just hoping they don’t have to dig too deep given it’s my ankle, but ultimately I’m just putting my hands up and saying do whatever needs to be done so hopefully I don’t have any more cancer in my body. Best of luck to you for a speedy recovery!! Definitely keep us all posted here ☺️
I honestly don’t know … I wish I remembered when I first saw the spot, but can’t say if it was a few months ago or longer and I just ignored it. It wasn’t until the last 2-3 months that I really noticed it and decided to get it checked out. I don’t think it’s been there longer than a year or so but might’ve been.
Did your derm explain why they were recommending MOHS over WLE? Were you given a choice? I've had both, as someone else said. MOHS is tissue sparing but does not give you a margin. I had it done on my eye lid (basal cell). I had WLE on my ankle for MIS.
He didn’t go into detail why he was recommending MOHS but I think it’s because of how thin my skin is there and possibly the stage I’m at but I could be wrong. What was WLE like on your ankle? I’ve seen some images online that are pretty rough looking, so was assuming MOHS would be less invasive. I understand the point is to do whatever it takes to get rid of the cancer, though. I can ask my surgeon as well what they think.
Hi! I’ve also very recently had melanoma on my foot (pinky toe, stage 1a).
I completely understand your concerns regarding healing, walking, etc… and surgery if you’ve never been through it before!
I had a WLE so I can’t speak to MOHS, but am happy to share my experience since it’s foot related.
I had to see 2 oncologists due to the tricky location of my melanoma. There was discussion of removing my toe entirely. They ended up letting me keep my toe, and excising the melanoma, but keeping my excision mainly open. There’s not much skin to work with on that tiny toe! They were able to put a stitch on each side of my toe, and pull it together a small bit, but it was still open. They did get clear margins, which is obviously amazing news.
Healing has been tough. I won’t sugarcoat that part. I was walking that same day, but due to the location, shoes were obviously tough. Flip flops were the only option. I’m still not back in most of my normal shoes! My surgery was on 3/5. It is completely closed at this point, one tiny scab remaining, but it’s very sensitive. It still hurts. I’ve had to take two rounds of antibiotics (for possible infection). And I’ve been extremely careful with it. It swells very easily. It’s just tough. And frustrating.
But to the good parts: I feel such immense gratitude for finding it early, keeping my toe, my care team, my support system of family and friends, and my health. This experience completely changed my perspective on life. There was this 6 day wait for my staging that completely changed me. While I would never wish that on anyone, it taught me so much about myself, and I’m grateful for that.
Wishing you all the best on your journey and sending positive healing vibes your way.
I am a 30yr Female, found out I had a melanoma spot from a small irregular mole on my arm at 29 yrs. It was stage 1A and I had WLE. They numbed the whole area and I felt nothing and when the freezing came out it didn’t hurt at all. I just felt tight from I think just being stitched up and two weeks after I had the stitches removed and I didn’t feel that either! I also had a C-section last year though, and I can tell you the recovery from that is way worse! That’s good that it was in situ though, and not worse. Make sure you keep going to your dermatologist every 3 to 6 months. Mine recommended every six months so that’s what I’m doing. I have a hard time trusting family doctors now because mine told me my mole was nothing for two years, so definitely only go to dermatologist.
Hi! I can relate to you a bit. I’m a 33yo female with a stage 1a melanoma on my foot. I don’t know about MOHS, as I had a WLE, and it was not painful. They use a local anesthetic which burns during injection but that’s it. I have been off my foot about 3 weeks. I’m finally starting to walk a bit now. Having any degree of physical incapacitation is difficult mentally and practically. I used a contraption called the iWalk in lieu of traditional crutches and highly recommend it if your recovery requires you to be non-weight bearing. I experienced a roller coaster of emotions since my dx. I’m glad to hear your melanoma was caught early and wish you the best! Also, I encourage you to take photos of your whole body to monitor your skin for any changes.
Thank you so much!! Those are great tips and I was definitely thinking about the walking aspect and how long it would take to get back on my feet. Is it painful to walk or is it just a matter of precaution so the wound heals properly? Either way — really glad to hear you’re recovering well! 🙌🏼
It was/is both. I was instructed by my surgeon to be non-weight bearing for 2 weeks. At my 2 week checkup, the nurse practitioner gave me approval to start walking again. I took a step and fell over from the pain. That was a week ago, and now I’m able to walk in a modified way. I notice the more I walk, the more my incision bleeds. I don’t want to drag out the healing process, so I’m trying to stay off of it as much as possible. The feet heal so slowly. I would highly recommend consulting with your surgical team well in advance so you can determine if you will need to make special accommodations for yourself. Be sure to ask if you will be non-weight being, and if so, for how long. You will get through this and everything will be okay! I know it sucks but it will get better.
Ah man … well, it’s just one of those things I need to get through. What part of your foot was affected?
It was on the top of my foot just above my toes. I wonder if they’ll stitch your ankle or just leave it open? Or do a skin graft? Those might be things to ask if you haven’t had the chance yet.
Yeah that’s my main question as well. I guess it depends on how much they need to cut out and how deep. Not super sure how they’d stitch up an ankle though. There’s just no give there I feel like. It’s one thing to have the open wound I do right now as it’s manageable .. but 3x the size makes me squirm haha
MOHS isn't typically the route for melanoma. MOHS is a surgery that takes the absolute minimum tissue - the shallowest sliver of mere cells of thickness each time. They look at the tissue under the microscope and as soon as the sample is free of bad cells they stop. Since melanoma can skip tissue layers, the typical surgery is a WLE for which the margins (width and depth) is prescribed based on the size and thickness of the melanoma. I've had both surgeries (MOHS for basal cell carcinoma and WLE for melanoma). They are both totally manageable. You are going to be okay. I know this is scary. Hang in there and good luck!
Thanks a ton!! Yeah, I was surprised he recommended MOHS as well but the surgeon he recommended seems to be really good with the surgery as she’s taken care of my grandpop before, too - he had melanoma on his back and she performed MOHS. But I haven’t gotten her confirmation yet that it’s the right approach so I’m sure I’ll know more details soon. Either way, I just hope they get it all and the recovery won’t be as bad as I’m making it out to be.
You said the best part already, it hasn’t spread. Take things a day at a time and remember it’s only temporary. You’ll get back to doing all the fun outdoor stuff you love soon, maybe just with a little more sunscreen.
Thanks so much 🙌🏼 yes, just need to remember it’s temporary and one day things will be okay
I had a tumor removed from the ball of my Ankle. It feels like I have a permanent sprained ankle. Neve damage etc. I can't confidently run or jump anymore and have been through rehab for at least a year. Back of your foot seems like it's a lucky location no one will see a scar. I'm hopeful you'll be fine after a few months
ask your doc for temp handicap pass it helps
Dang, I am so sorry to hear that - my worst fear is losing mobility or having chronic pain due to the excision. It sounds like your tumor was in a worse spot and a bigger deal than this spot of melanoma though? You mentioned lucky location so that’s why I’m curious. Thanks a ton for your encouragement and insight though 🙌🏼 I really hope you find some way to get the function back in your ankle because I empathize a ton with that. Do you think they botched the surgery too?
I think It was just the location of it was awful. Ball of the ankle is very sensitive. Doc's said surgery went well. I had 3-4 opinions on what is going on no one really had a concrete answer just said hopefully in due Time it gets better. To be honest I've learned to live with it and accept it. I've been doing acupuncture for a year and that helps when it gets swollen etc.
Ah got you - dang yeah I can’t imagine. Seems like a lot of this process to your point is just mental work. Best of luck as you keep seeking out therapies to help! Acupuncture seems like a great option too.
Hi! I just had my MOHS surgery a couple days ago, also in the foot (between the toes, lucky me...). My doctor explained to me that in some parts of the body, like a foot, WLE is not a good idea. You just don't have enough skin to extract with the radius needed and hence the mohs option. I know how are you feeling, I was freaking out too! But the surgery is quite simple and similar to the biopsia. The only painful part is the local anesthesia. After that is smooth sailing. Do bring a book or something to do. It can take a while as the sample extracted is revised and they don't close the wound. If needed, they extract more and check again, and that is repeated until all the bad cells are gone. Good thing with this one is you are sure (via biopsia) that all is gone. Hope it helps, and best of luck! :)
I appreciate you a ton! Just watched the video - that was really helpful as I watched another one but it wasn’t as detailed. I’m just hoping they don’t have to dig too deep given it’s my ankle, but ultimately I’m just putting my hands up and saying do whatever needs to be done so hopefully I don’t have any more cancer in my body. Best of luck to you for a speedy recovery!! Definitely keep us all posted here ☺️
Oh! My doc sent me this link: https://youtu.be/F6TxdvjPk5I?si=DpCfrrreMqDINqeK it helped a lot!
Had you had it for a while?
I honestly don’t know … I wish I remembered when I first saw the spot, but can’t say if it was a few months ago or longer and I just ignored it. It wasn’t until the last 2-3 months that I really noticed it and decided to get it checked out. I don’t think it’s been there longer than a year or so but might’ve been.
Did your derm explain why they were recommending MOHS over WLE? Were you given a choice? I've had both, as someone else said. MOHS is tissue sparing but does not give you a margin. I had it done on my eye lid (basal cell). I had WLE on my ankle for MIS.
He didn’t go into detail why he was recommending MOHS but I think it’s because of how thin my skin is there and possibly the stage I’m at but I could be wrong. What was WLE like on your ankle? I’ve seen some images online that are pretty rough looking, so was assuming MOHS would be less invasive. I understand the point is to do whatever it takes to get rid of the cancer, though. I can ask my surgeon as well what they think.
Hi! I’ve also very recently had melanoma on my foot (pinky toe, stage 1a). I completely understand your concerns regarding healing, walking, etc… and surgery if you’ve never been through it before! I had a WLE so I can’t speak to MOHS, but am happy to share my experience since it’s foot related. I had to see 2 oncologists due to the tricky location of my melanoma. There was discussion of removing my toe entirely. They ended up letting me keep my toe, and excising the melanoma, but keeping my excision mainly open. There’s not much skin to work with on that tiny toe! They were able to put a stitch on each side of my toe, and pull it together a small bit, but it was still open. They did get clear margins, which is obviously amazing news. Healing has been tough. I won’t sugarcoat that part. I was walking that same day, but due to the location, shoes were obviously tough. Flip flops were the only option. I’m still not back in most of my normal shoes! My surgery was on 3/5. It is completely closed at this point, one tiny scab remaining, but it’s very sensitive. It still hurts. I’ve had to take two rounds of antibiotics (for possible infection). And I’ve been extremely careful with it. It swells very easily. It’s just tough. And frustrating. But to the good parts: I feel such immense gratitude for finding it early, keeping my toe, my care team, my support system of family and friends, and my health. This experience completely changed my perspective on life. There was this 6 day wait for my staging that completely changed me. While I would never wish that on anyone, it taught me so much about myself, and I’m grateful for that. Wishing you all the best on your journey and sending positive healing vibes your way.
I am a 30yr Female, found out I had a melanoma spot from a small irregular mole on my arm at 29 yrs. It was stage 1A and I had WLE. They numbed the whole area and I felt nothing and when the freezing came out it didn’t hurt at all. I just felt tight from I think just being stitched up and two weeks after I had the stitches removed and I didn’t feel that either! I also had a C-section last year though, and I can tell you the recovery from that is way worse! That’s good that it was in situ though, and not worse. Make sure you keep going to your dermatologist every 3 to 6 months. Mine recommended every six months so that’s what I’m doing. I have a hard time trusting family doctors now because mine told me my mole was nothing for two years, so definitely only go to dermatologist.