3 weeks since surgery

So here it is - only 3 weeks after surgery and it is healing nicely.  I've had pimples bigger than this.  The color is blending in with the skin color of my nose.  It is still raised but like the doctor said it is much easier to laser it to smooth out whereas if it was sunken in my options would be to leave it or another skin graft so I am happy so far.  I have stopped covering it at night and I do not cover it at all during the day now.   I forgot to mention that I am a runner and I usually run 6+ miles several times a week. I decided NOT to run like my doctor recommended during this time.  It has been hard but when I put everything into perspective a month is not a long time when I am dealing with the outcome of my nose.  I will continue to post pictures as I heal.  Each day I can see improvement.  So far my mohs surgery has been a success.  The biggest advice I can give is use sunscreen and make sure you put it on your children.  I live in the South near the beach and have 2 children.  This has been a learning experience for them as well and now they truely understand when I tell them they have to wear sunscreen so they don't get skin cancer ......they have lived it through their mother.

Stitches come out today

Stitches came out today - one week after surgery.  The doctor came in to evalutate the graft.  He said it was taking nicely and the stitches could come out.  The nurse took the stitches out.  The doctor said that it was desirable for the graft edges to be become elevated after a few days.  He said the color of the graft would most likely change to several colors over the next few days to weeks before it would take on the color of skin.  I am to go back in 4 months to see if any smoothing techniques need to be done such as laser or dermabrasion.  The picture is the day after the stitches came out.  It is really gross looking.  My mom and I went shopping anyways and had an awesome time.  I kept it covered because no one wants to look at something so gross !!!

Today is day 2 after the surgery.  Day 1 I took pain medicine so I slept most of the day.  Day 2 I took tylenol and the pain is not as bad.  Here is a picture of the skin graph.  It is still bloody around the suture but you can begin to see the skin graft.  It is the white skin in the middle.  It is white because it does not have blood supply yet.

After the second cut it was another hour and a half and the nurse came out to let me know the doctor got it all.  It would be about another hour before repair because there is a line of others in front of me for wound repair.  Finally it's time.  This time I go into a different room - this one is cold and there is percussion music playing softly in the background.  The doctor comes in and tells me that he recommends a skin graph taken from the inside of my ear to cover the wound (hole).  He will put sutures all the way around the graft.  I agreed since he is the expert.  He steps out.  More numbing needles and this time in my ear too.  The doctor comes back in and this time he cranks up the music and does his magic.

The nurse came out about an hour and a half later to tell me that they did not get it all so it is more needles and more cutting.  I'm not happy.

Today is the day for my Mohs Surgery.  Appointment was at 7:30am.  They got me in pretty quick.  The worst part so far has been the numbing needle - WOW did that sting.  The first biopsy has been taken and it is only 8:30.  The doctor said it would be a 2 hour wait before the pathologist has completely determined if all margins are clear or if more will need to be taken.  Here is a picture of the marking and bandage after the first biopsy.  The waiting is the worst part.

Here is a picture after biospy before Mohs without makeup.  The small red bump towards the front of my nose came back as benign.  It is the spot closer to my cheek that is a pearly circle.

Here is a picture after biopsy before Mohs.  I have makeup on in this picture.

Mohs Surgery Tomorrow - Not Fun !

It all started with a small bump on the right side of my nose that came up about 4 months ago.  I have other small red surface bumps on my nose that have been checked out by a dermatologist that told me they were broken blood vessels.  I have had laser done on them but they always seem to come back.  This bump was different.  It was raised and not just on the surface.  It started as a small bump and I thought it was a pimple but it would not heal. It started to bleed everytime I washed my face,  I'm not one to mess around so I made an appointment with my dermatologist.  After having 4 biopsies 1) ankle 2) thigh 3) tip of nose (those surface bumps again) and 4) new bump on side of face .........results came back #4 is squamous cell cancer.  The dermatologist recommended Mohs Surgery.

I came home from the appointment and started my research.  Yikes.......this isn't going to be fun.  I'm not sure I want to go back to the same dermatologist due to the possibility of needing reconstruction after the cancer is removed.  I decided to go to a doctor at Duke in Durham who specializes in Mohs surgery and reconstructive wounds.  There have been articles written about him as being the facial sculpture.  I want to be in good hands just in case.

My appointment is tomorrow 10/20/2011.  I am getting ready to pack.  My husband and I will be traveling to Duke and will spend the night so I can be at my appointment at 7:30am.  My mother and step Dad drove down from PA to be with our children.  I will post a before picture shortly.  It will be 'before MOHS surgery' after biopsy.