It's not going to be a fun morning.........more skin cancer.

IKE

IKE

Well-known Member
Location
Oklahoma....U.S.A.
Two more spots of basal cell skin cancer have been found on my nose and have to be removed this morning at 8:30.

Without exaggeration since 1977 I've had to have a minimum of two basal cells surgically removed from my face, neck, chest, arms, back and hands......they have ranged from dime size to silver dollar size on the surface but were considerably larger under the surface. Many more were caught early and were able to be frozen before surgery was required.

I've had cancer removed twice already from my nose and folks I'm here to tell you that shots in the nose are very, very, very uncomfortable.......I'm a pretty tuff old boy but they always make my eyes water up.

There's something about the way insurance works but normally, even though the dermatologist and myself know for a fact that it is cancer, I've got to be deadened, a biopsy sent off and then return for another round of shots and the actual removal.

Something about the lack of a skin pigment on people that have red or blonde hair and folks with blue eyes make them more prone to skin cancers.......I've got blue eyes.

I guess the moral to this story is keep a close watch on yourself for any odd sized moles or different colored areas on your body and have anything that doesn't look right taken care of.

The nose is more of a cartilage type tissue and does not close and heal over like skin does and, based on my experience, it leaves a divot where the removal was done.

Hopefully when this is all over I'll get out of there without looking like a cross between W.C Fields, Porky Pig and a pekingese.
 

Good luck! I check all my spots but I've been thinking I should get a referral to a dermatologist for a full look at every single spot. My sister and lots of American friends/relatives get this done every so often. My mom used to get cancer spots on her face frequently and had them removed. She had to be very careful of sunshine and always wore a hat.

I'm very good with sunscreen and when there is strong sunshine like Thailand or Africa I also wear a hat.
 
At our ages it's a good idea to see a dermatologist once a year for a full body check, they are more in tune with what to look for vs your normal family m.d.

I was in Vietnam for five years and nine months and although there are skin and other types of cancers connected with Agent Orange basal cells are not one of them......basal cells are more attributed to sun exposure and show up later in life.

Have yourselves looked at folks.
 
Ike, hope all goes well today and it isn't too painful.

It's too late to get a referral now as we are going abroad soon, but when we get back I going to nag hubby to get a full body check as well. We can go together.
 
Pappy said:
Ike...my cousin died of being exposed to agent orange. What a terrible thing to expose our troops with that.
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I've got some Agent Orange related health issues going on and receive a monthly VA disability check for them but I'm not bitter over being exposed........that's just the way it is.
 
Ameriscot said:
Good luck! I check all my spots but I've been thinking I should get a referral to a dermatologist for a full look at every single spot. My sister and lots of American friends/relatives get this done every so often. My mom used to get cancer spots on her face frequently and had them removed. She had to be very careful of sunshine and always wore a hat.

I'm very good with sunscreen and when there is strong sunshine like Thailand or Africa I also wear a hat.
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Yes... I go to a Derm every year or so for a complete body check... and I do mean COMPLETE.. she checks places that I can't see... that's important... then she removes or freezes off anything that looks the least bit funky. So far so good.. no cancer.. but I spent my misguided youth on the shores of Lake Michigan slathered in baby oil... and it only takes one really bad sunburn to set the wheels for skin cancer in motion..
 
QuickSilver said:
Yes... I go to a Derm every year or so for a complete body check... and I do mean COMPLETE.. she checks places that I can't see... that's important... then she removes or freezes off anything that looks the least bit funky. So far so good.. no cancer.. but I spent my misguided youth on the shores of Lake Michigan slathered in baby oil... and it only takes one really bad sunburn to set the wheels for skin cancer in motion..
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I've had quite a few bad burns, mostly when I was younger. I have pale skin that tends to burn rather than tan. I've been very careful for years, but I will get checked.
 
Well I'm back and it looks like it is going to be more involved than I thought.

Doc found three cancer spots on my nose instead of just two and he also found one on top of my left shoulder.....three deadening shots on my nose and biopsies and one shot on my shoulder and a biopsy.

After the results come back he is going to remove the cancer on my shoulder himself but he does not want to work on the ones on my nose so he is going to refer me to another dermatologist that has had additional schooling in reconstructive surgery for those three places. He said that the doctor he's referring me to may do all three at once or may do them one at a time, it just depends on how involved they will be.

His gal said that the shoulder, because of the upcoming short Thanksgiving week, may not be able to be taken care till the week after the holiday and the referral may not take place till December some time.

Maybe I'll ask ole Santa for a new nose for Xmas eh ?
 
So sorry to hear that Ike, this must all be so painful for you and upsetting....hugs. I can only wish you the best, will be thinking of you. :(
 
Our histories with Basal Cell Cancers are so similar Ike, mine going back to 1977 as well. I have had a total of 20 surgeries with the most recent this past August. I too am of the blue eyed fair skin group that's spent too much time in the sun without sun screen. Those South Pacific Islands and New Zealand/Australia visits were sure fun times but raised hell with my nose/ears/neck and cheeks. 15 minutes in the sun in those parts of the world is the equivalent of one hour in the sun else where. I have had two Mohs Procedures which is quite interesting.


dwww.fdsderm.com/mohs-surgery‎.
 
OZ is skin cancer central - a population of mostly fair skinned people, genetically designed for cooler climates living in a land when the sun doesn't just shine, it scorches. Our outdoor lifestyle has resulted in an older population who were regularly subjected to sun burn when younger and having various skins cancers burnt off or removed is an annual event. I've had two that required the skills of a plastic surgeon to avoid needing a skin graft, the rest have been treated with liquid nitrogen.

I have see old people in nursing homes with skin cancers that were neglected and while they weren't going to kill them they were pitiful to behold. I strongly support having full body check ups at our age. Even the soles of the feet can be the site of melanomas.

IKE, distressing as it has been for you, you are doing the right thing, not only for yourself but also for your loved ones. Courage and fortitude to you.
 
Warrigal said:
OZ is skin cancer central - a population of mostly fair skinned people, genetically designed for cooler climates living in a land when the sun doesn't just shine, it scorches. Our outdoor lifestyle has resulted in an older population who were regularly subjected to sun burn when younger and having various skins cancers burnt off or removed is an annual event. I've had two that required the skills of a plastic surgeon to avoid needing a skin graft, the rest have been treated with liquid nitrogen.

I have see old people in nursing homes with skin cancers that were neglected and while they weren't going to kill them they were pitiful to behold. I strongly support having full body check ups at our age. Even the soles of the feet can be the site of melanomas.

IKE, distressing as it has been for you, you are doing the right thing, not only for yourself but also for your loved ones. Courage and fortitude to you.
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Thank you.

Take it from one who knows folks............go get a head to toe check up for skin cancer.
 
Ike, were you exposed to a lot of sun in your youth? My dad had a running battle with that type of skin cancer, which they always said was from his years and years of being out in the sun without a hat. And of course we are a mile high here, which they say makes sun exposure more intense.
 
fI'm so sorry, my Dad has had this issue for quite a while. They would remove whatever and he finds himsetylf bleeding into his shirt. I have red hair and far fairer skin...I must be totally ******. Hubby is Sicilian and some of his " beauty marks"..scare ,me
 
Butterfly said:
Ike, were you exposed to a lot of sun in your youth? My dad had a running battle with that type of skin cancer, which they always said was from his years and years of being out in the sun without a hat. And of course we are a mile high here, which they say makes sun exposure more intense.
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I never have been one to purposely lay out in the sun to get a tan but I suppose I did run around a lot without a shirt on outside and I can recall a couple of pretty bad sunburns when I was in my early twenties.........it's finally caught up to me.

My doctor did tell me that if the fella he is referring me to felt that he couldn't handle it that he would then refer me to a regular plastic surgeon.

I do feel fortunate though, I guess if a person has to have one of the many types of cancer basal cell is the one to have.
 
Our Friend's Malignancies

My wife's old boss from Phoenix has had over the years numerous skin cancers removed from his face; perhaps several dozen, which left minor discolored spots.

As a lifelong avid believer in the Vitamin D benefits of exposure to the sun, in my case I've taken advantage of any chance to spend time in the sun. 30 years in Chicago, where blazing clear sky occurs only a few days annually, then 30+ years of desert sun, I have yet to experience any ill-effect. And when considering that malignant melanoma has been found as often as not, in hidden, out of the sun places (in the mouth, etc.), I've come to question the claims about sunlight exposure.

OK, fire away! Statistics, studies, scientific evidence.....etc. Any idea how much revenue is generated by "damaging sunlight" propaganda? Billions spent on potions, lotions, sunscreens, herbals. Necessarily spent?

Or, am I just a very lucky old fool? imp
 
I think it's pretty well established that sun exposure does facilitate some forms of skin cancer, but not all. I don't know if there is a direct connection with malignant melanoma, which is a whole different colored horse than basal cell.
 


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