Late March, 2026
Around a week or so after the operation, I received a phone call from the lead surgeon in the Plastic Surgery department at the John Radcliffe (JR) in Oxford. He started the call asking how I was feeling and how the arm and armpit were doing. I gave him a rundown and said that all in all, it wasn’t too bad. He said to carry on resting up and to make sure that I dont do any heavy lifting for a few more weeks.
I thought it was really nice of him to check in, considering he is the head surgeon. Then he hits me with it. “We’ve got your test results and the lymph nodes were showing signs of cancer when they were checked in the lab”. I was caught by total surprise as I was expecting to be one of the 85 people out of 100 who show no signs of cancer after my initial op. So I blurt out “That doesn’t sound good news!”. He says indeed it is not good. But as I process this bombshell my mind takes me back to the initial plastic surgery appointment where I was given 3 options – do nothing, only have the arm incision made or go with the arm incision and lymph node removal. If I hadn’t gone with the 3rd option, that cancer would still be lurking in my armpit without anyone knowing. So if there is any comfort to take, it’s exactly that.
So it’s then explained to me that it is important to identify if the cancer has spread beyond my armpit. I’m told that out of all the lymph nodes that were taken out, only 2 or 3 showed sign of cancer so that also leaves me hopeful. So I’m going to be put forward for a body scan (a CT/CAT scan will scan my bones and organs) and a MRI scan (the MRI scan will check to see if the cancer has spread to my brain). I put the phone down and I phone Lisa with the news. It was a hard one to take after all the optimism of the last two operations so I immediately cry my eyes out giving Lisa the worrying news. Strangely enough, she later tells me that her initial thought was the same as me regarding why couldn’t I be any of those 85 people out of 100 who show no further signs. So now its a nervous wait until I can have those scans/wait for the results….
In the meantime, 2 week after the operation, I am asked to go back to the JR dressings clinic to have my forearm and armpit cleaned and checked. It’s positive news. My armpit is looking really good and I’m told that my forearm is looking pretty good as well. It’s explained to me that because I dont smoke, that has really helped the healing process and resting up has really helped me as well. The armpit is re-dressed to keep it clean but I am told that I no longer need to have a dressing on my arm. Instead I’m advised to clean the wound three times a day which will help to remove any loose scabs, and also apply Vaseline to the wound once it is cleaned. The reason for doing so is that the Vaseline will keep the wound moisterised and help the scar recover quicker. After a few weeks I am told that I can swap the Vaseline for moisturiser. Because I am putting Vaseline on my arm, I’m also given some tubi grips that I can wear when I go out/have any long sleeve tops on to stop the vaseline from getting rubbed off my arm, as well as offering the scar some added protection. But I am also advised to try and keep my arm open to the air for as long as possible as this will also be good for the scarring and help it to heal quicker.
Proud of my Scar 
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