"Emergency hospital visit"

Last year while on holidays I had a growth emerge on my wrist that came up at an alarming speed. At Port Macquarie, I bumped it on the edge of a chalet and it would not stop bleeding. We decided to go to the hospital using our GPS as it was night time, in a strange town, and pouring with rain. When we arrived at the hospital, the emergency department was filled with many people waiting. After taking my particulars, the receptionist said we are going to fast track you and requested we follow a nurse. Two doctors had a look and suggested it was a skin cancer. One of them said I needed to have it removed within a week. The lesion was dressed and I was happy with the treatment at Macquarie Hospital.

We made an appointment at Coffs Harbour, but the doctor said they didn't have time to remove it. They only did a biopsy and told us we needed to get home to have the skin cancer removed. They said we should have a reply within a week to ten days. At this stage, the skin cancer was about the size of a men's watch, so we decided to return home. I was disappointed they wouldn’t excise it while we were there.

Concerned about the way it was growing, we visited a hospital in Quorn. The doctor there redressed the skin cancer but said he wouldn't do anything further, worried that a skin graft may be required. He spoke to his colleague in Sydney, who advised against excision in Quorn.

Our vehicle broke down just inside the WA border, so we were towed to Norseman Hospital. The cancer had become flyblown through the crepe bandage while waiting for the tow truck. The nurse cleaned the growth and dressed it. I was worried I might have missed some maggots I couldn’t see, so they debrided and removed them, then redressed the wound.

By the time we got back to Albany, our GP said if I wasn’t worried about the scar, he would excise it himself. He didn’t want me to wait another two weeks to see the skin specialist. He was wonderful and did a great job.

It was a very worrying time overall, but I was grateful for the care I received at Port Macquarie, Norseman, and Albany. I do feel, though, that the skin cancer clinic in Coffs Harbour should have excised the lesion when they had the chance.