I have been a sun "worshiper" for most of my life. I used to lather on baby oil and lay out in the sun on a lounge chair for hours just so I could get a premier tan. When in my twenties I first became interested in writing, I can vividly remember setting my typewriter (this was before computers) up on a table on my patio. I put on my swim suit, wrote to my heart's content, and absorbed the sun. Now, I garden, do yard chores, and walk for exercise so I am still out in the sun almost daily. I started using sunscreen a couple of decades ago even though I really didn't like how it made my skin feel and the way beach sand stuck to it.
About a year or so ago, I developed a small spot on the crease of my nose. No big deal...treat with peroxide, antibiotic ointment...you know the drill. It seemed to crust over, get better and, just when I thought it was gone, it would come back - bleed, scab, crust - over and over again. During my annual checkup last December, my doctor thought it was basil cell cancer and did a biopsy. According to the nurse who called me, the biopsy came back negative but there were atypical cells. She said the recommendation was to either use Efudex, a prescription cream that targets precancerous lesions, or go to a dermatologist. I figured using Efudex for a couple of weeks was easier so I chose that path. Besides, Ron had done Efudex multiple times in the last several years and it seemed to work.
A few weeks later, the lesion came back, and the same pattern of crusting, scabbing, and bleeding resumed. By late Spring, I was tired of dealing with it and a bit perplexed. It also didn't look too cool and makeup didn't cover it. Finally, I called my doctor's office and asked them to send me a copy of the December biopsy report. I guess I should have done this initially because when I got the report, I discovered the recommendation on the report was to have additional biopsies to examine deeper levels. Either I went brain dead when she said the word "negative" or the nurse never told me the report said this when she called with the results back in January. At any rate, I became proactive at this point and set up an appointment with a dermatologist.
Another biopsy was done and it came back positive basal cell carcinoma. Fortunately, if you have to have skin cancer, this is a "good kind" because it is slow growing, usually not as wide spread, and does not cause as much tissue damage. The dermatologist recommended MOHS Micrographic Surgery which is suppose to provide the highest cure rate (up to 99%) for basal and squamous cell carcinomas. The goal is to only remove as much tissue as is absolutely necessary. This is accomplished by first removing tissue at the biopsy and peripheral areas. The surgeon sends it to the lab where it each section is microscopically examined for evidence of remaining cancer. This step takes about 30 minutes. In the meantime, you hang out and wait. If there is more cancer, the surgeon takes another slice and the same procedure occurs. Potentially, these steps can be repeated several times and it can take all day.
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| Day After Surgery |
For me, it only took one cut to get rid of those nasty cells. Yahoo! Next a plastic surgeon closed it up by pulling some skin from above the area over the hole. Ron had me back home in about two hours. Although, they gave me pain pills, I only ended up taking a few Extra Strength Tylenol in the first 24 hours. The healing process has been relatively quick. The body has the amazing ability to send the troops to a wound and immediately go about the task of repairing.
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| One Week After Surgery |
After the whole thing was over, the dermatologist completely checked me over for any other suspicious areas. There were none. The last thing he said to me as he left the room was, "This was probably from sun damage twenty-five years ago. Wear sunscreen."
Like the song says, "Tell your children..." They probably won't heed the warning but tell them anyway.
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