Skin Cancer Scare

So, at the end of February I had an appointment with a dermatologist about a place that I had had beside my eye corner for several months. I showed it to my Dr. at a routine visit in January. 

It first appeared as a tiny white bump at the corner of my eye and it itched like crazy. I just thought it was a little bump, but it eventually turned into a bigger red bump, then a scaly itchy patch of red bumps, which I thought might be eczema.  It also had a few random twinges of pain. When I saw that it wasn't going away, but gradually spreading up on my nose I asked my Dr. what she thought it was, which is when she sent me to the dermatologist. 

The assistant dermatologist took one look, asked a few questions, and did a biopsy on the place at the corner of my eye. She gave me a shot to deaden it, and while it was taking effect, I showed her four other brown spots that were very itchy also. She said they could be pre-cancerous cells, and she froze them off with liquid nitrogen, which stung a little, but didn't really hurt. It was kind of an odd sensation. No deadening.

This is me after the biopsy and after I took the bandage off. It doesn't show up very well, but she took out a little chunk by the inside eye corner to send off to the lab. Also, you can see two of the places she froze off beside my right eye, but there was another over my left eyebrow and one in my hairline by my left temple. It looked like someone had put a cigarette out on my forehead for a few days! I healed without any problem, as I nervously waited to hear from the lab results.

A week later they called me and told me the biopsy came back positive as squamous cell carcinoma (skin cancer) and would have to be cut out. I felt like I had a gut punch at the word cancer, but realized it could be a lot worse. I was worried that it had gotten into my eye socket or sinus cavity.

They made me an appointment for outpatient surgery over three weeks later at the clinic. The good news was that it was fixable and it was very slow growing, so last Wednesday, April 3, between our 54th wedding anniversary and hubby's 77th birthday, he and I made the two hour round trip to the clinic. 

The actual surgery didn't take that long, but the whole procedure took two and a half hours. They did let hubby stay with me the whole time, which was good. I had been scared and anxious for a month, but the deadening shot must have had a relaxer in it, because I got very calm after the assistant gave me the first shot by my eye. 

The doctor did MOHS surgery, in which he gave me another shot, cut out the place, and sent it to the lab to see if he got it all. Each trip to the lab took about thirty minutes, which meant a lot of the time was spent waiting. First time didn't get it all, so he gave me another shot, cut out more, and sent it to the lab. Still didn't get it all, so he gave me another shot, cut out more, and sent it to the lab. Third times a charm, because it came back clear. Thankfully, he didn't have to go very deep and it wasn't in my eye socket or sinuses!

He sewed me up with four, maybe five stitches. First one was right where my glasses sit and the last one was in the corner of my eyelid, so for now my glasses have to sit a bit crooked, but that's ok. I can still see!

Right after I left the clinic...

Thursday, twenty-four hours after surgery when I took the bandage off. It was really sore, but not hurting. Some swelling, which they said to expect, and each time I moved my forehead or touched around my eye, or blinked, it pulled the stitches. 

I was told to wash it with soap and water, then apply a thin layer of Vaseline, once a day, which I'm doing. I've tried to be really careful about touching, rubbing, or scratching it, especially in my sleep.

Friday morning my eye was swelled almost shut and my cheek was swelled and around the stitches was swelled and red. The cut looked awful, still very sore, but not hurting. The swelling went down some during the day.

Saturday the swelling had gone down some more, but it was still pretty sore and looked like it might be getting infected, which worried me some, but I prayed and did wound care on it. I worry about healing, because I have Type 2 diabetes.

Sunday there was no swelling, the soreness was mostly gone, and it looked much better. I could raise my forehead without pulling the stitches, which was a relief. 

However, the stitches look like they are buried in the skin, so I know getting them out isn't going to be fun. Thank goodness there's only four or five of them!

Today, Monday, my face looks normal, except for the surgical cut and black stitches, just a tiny bit of soreness and redness left, and I have managed, so far, not to tear it open. My glasses disguise most of the sore place. So, by God's grace, they got it all out, it's healing well, and I'll get the stitches out by Thursday!  Not looking forward to that, but it can't be any worse than getting stitches taken out of the inside of my nose after I had my nose straightened so I could breathe better.

I know this wasn't a major surgery, but if I had let it go, it could have eventually turned into one. I'm thankful I had it checked out, thankful it's over with, and really thankful it's healing so well! God and zendoodling helped me get through a nerve wracking time once again.

That was a scare that I hope I don't have to face again...

UPDATE: I went back yesterday, Thursday, a week later, to get the stitches out, but  the wound had some infection, and I am diabetic, so they gave me antibiotic pills and creme to use over the weekend. When I cleaned the wound one of the stitches fell out on its own. So, we'll see if the stitches can come out Tuesday. Fingers crossed that the infection heals and they can!

UPDATE 2: Yesterday, Tuesday, almost two weeks after surgery, I went back to see if the stitches could come out. They could, and did! The infection is all but gone, but there is still a scab, which will take some time and may leave a small scar, but I can live with a scar as long as the cancer is gone. I will be glad when I can wear my glasses where they are supposed to be though. They've been having to sit below the cut, causing me to tilt my head back to see. Anyway, stitches are gone and no longer poking and tickling my nose and eye! Color me HAPPY!