Quote:
Originally Posted by Jacko
Hey Karen, I am getting two done on my face at the end of the month...never had a plastic surgeon before this...is it any different than when the dermatologists cut out the cancer? Or do they just do a more elegant job?
(2 basal cell cancers on my face, 1 squamous cell on my back and another basal cell on my chest...it wasn't a good visit this time  ) |
Crap, Jacko.... sorry to hear that you're going through that. But then again, I'm glad you are. Glad cuz they've caught it and are getting it GONE. Kudos to you, my friend, for having the "smaahts" to get those annual body checks (I never miss having mine done). Is that when they discovered these areas??
The first surgery (basal cell) I had done required removing an area about the size of a quarter on my upper right temple (straight over from the corner of my right eye, at the hairline). Because of the rather large-ish removal of tissue, they determined that a plastic surgeon's skills would be needed in order to stitch it up in such a way as to not affect my eye or eyebrow (i.e. pull the skin). He did a fabulous job, and now after almost 14 years, there's a very faint scar that is mostly hidden by my eyeglass frame.
The other two surgeries involved a section directly below my right nostril (again, luckily, basal cell). I had the Mohs surgery done at Mass General which has a 99% success rate. Didn't even require a stitch - just a pressure bandage. But... I beat the odds and a few years later the cancer returned. This time, a different doctor, a local dermatologist, went in with a grapefruit spoon and dug a hole to China. Ended up with about 8 stitches and a scar resembling the Toyota logo. But that scar is also fading, and hey... I never wanted to grow a moustache anyway.
Good luck with your surgeries, Jacko. Scars on men are sexy. And I'm sure Linda has a cute nurse's outfit to wear for you during your recovery phase.
