Early sugery for Anne tomorrow (6:30 AM)
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
Eugene, Oregon
October 20, 2016 7:47pm CST
Not really serious surgery, thankfully, but MOHS surgery, which is a precise way of removing skin cancers from various parts of the body. What Anne has is a Basal Cell Carcinoma, so it is not as bad as Melanoma, which is life threatening. The thing is, this one is on the side of her nose. (Ouch).
What they do is take very small portions of cancer affected skin and check it under a microscope, then take a little more, until they find the edges, or clean skin. This can be a slow process. Under local anesthetic, you go in, they carve a little, you go sit down, they check, call you back in and repeat until they get it all.
It is not painful, but can be later. I had one on my ear removed and told the doc, that I did not want to look like Dr. Spock. On another occasion, Anne had to go back to carved a bit more six times. It took about six hours of sitting there. The bad news is that she also has a spot on her leg that will be next in a few weeks.
My own recent checkup went well, not even a biopsy needed.
Do you have to get skin checkups? If not, remember to wear hats in the sun and use that sunscreen.
15 people like this
14 responses
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
21 Oct 16
Do you mean Dr. Spock the child pediatrician or Mr. Spock off Star Trek? Glad your wife's surgery isn't serious.
3 people like this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
21 Oct 16
I actually thought about that as I wrote it.1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39515)
• United States
21 Oct 16
oh dear, i hope that this'un goes by quickly. all that waitin' 'd not sit well with me. 'tis been some years since i've gotten one'f those check'ps. the hubs's 'd many pre-cancer thingies frozen off his face/ears o'er the years. he really needs to be more diligent, but i can't force him to go. he's a mole'n his back that's got me purty worried...he refuses to listen though.
one'f the 'perks' 'f bein' a pale redhead's that i've always sunscreen. since the remicade i've gotta be e'en more cautious coz one 'f the side effects 'tis melanoma.
2 people like this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
22 Oct 16
@crazyhorseladycx That would be a good idea!
1 person likes this
@LovingMyBabies (85127)
• Valdosta, Georgia
21 Oct 16
It sounds really painful. I hope it goes okay for her. =(
2 people like this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
21 Oct 16
Thanks, it should be okay. She is planning to go to a meeting in the afternoon.
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
21 Oct 16
For sure. She has worn a bandaid for weeks since the biopsy.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (458007)
• Switzerland
21 Oct 16
@JamesHxstatic This is a good thing, the fear is always to have a visible scar, that would not be nice if on the face.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
21 Oct 16
@LadyDuck MOHS rarely leaves scars and is very precise.
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@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
21 Oct 16
It has Anna, and she is doing fine. She said the incisions look no worse than the biopsy did, so that is a good thing too.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40054)
• Laguna Woods, California
21 Oct 16
I have not had a MOHs surgery, but my husband has. Tomorrow morning, the husband of the woman I walk with is having MOHs surgery. It is getting to be very common. I hope all goes will for Anne.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
21 Oct 16
@DeborahDiane Yes, it is great that she only had to go back about four times to find clean edges. Thank you.
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
21 Oct 16
They only had to take her back about four times and we were out by about 9 AM. She said it does not look any worse than the biopsy, but she will have to wear a bandage for about a week.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40054)
• Laguna Woods, California
21 Oct 16
@JamesHxstatic - I'm so glad to hear that it went quickly and Anne is doing well. Good news for you both!
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
21 Oct 16
I'm checked every six months. I've had this procedure done eight times, but since I'm allergic to latex, it has to be in the operating room, requires an IV (rules), and I have to be undressed and under the sheet. It's really cold in there. Yours and hers are probably done under less annoying circumstances. It's pretty easy, not stressful (except for the cold) and as you said, painless.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
21 Oct 16
It is really not a big deal to have MOHS except when they have to go multiple times like that once for her. Yours would be a real pain to experience.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
22 Oct 16
@ElizabethWallace That is great since yours is such an ordeal.
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
22 Oct 16
@JamesHxstatic I've been pretty lucky lately. My last surgery for this was 2003. Fingers crossed.
1 person likes this
@5thHouse (1678)
• Sheffield, England
21 Oct 16
My dad had quite a bit of treatment for skin cancers on his ears and he was always convinced he got them when he was serving in the army in the Middle East. He was fair skinned and I don't think the army then issued any kind of sun block. He got bad sunburn (which was actually a court martial offence back then!) I hope Anne's surgery goes well.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
21 Oct 16
It was over faster than expected and she is fine, even going to her meeting this afternoon. There was no real sun block when I was getting all that exposure. How in the world could he have avoided sunburn in the desert? Odd thing they had it as a court martial offense when it could not be helped.
@FayeHazel (40248)
• United States
21 Oct 16
Oh dear! I'm happy that they can get rid of it, and it's not dangerous. No, have never had a skin check. But then I love sunscreen, so hopefully. Well hope it goes well. --is Anne wife or daughter?
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
21 Oct 16
Anne is my wife and sunscreen was not invented back when we got a lot of exposure as kids and teenagers.
