My Skin Cancer and possibly yours

Aneeda72 said:
I got the date mixed it. It’s actually the 12th, so tomorrow. I think I’ve had a senior moment week 😂
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OH gosh! What a thing to have a senior moment regarding!:oops::eek:

Glad you didn't miss it! As lousy as it is, is probably better to get this step behind you, at this point. Will hope it goes as well and as easily as possible!
 

good reminder
unfortunately cancer can look different
i went in as i had a growth that was odd shaped looked if growing was rough many of the signs listed in magazine articles .

a couple years ago right before covid........I had the dermatologist come in take a look from 10 feet away say "nope those are growths that happen as we age 99.9% never develop cancer, he could removed he said would just grow back."....

since i paid for whole appointment ....I had him look at the whole body was not going to pay for him to look for 15 seconds.

i told him "well this fit all those criteria in articles".................... and he laughed and said "yep,each time another one is released we got 40 patients like you with nothing to worry about".

I watch items on me or spouse............ but after that experience i understand why so many put if off or find it late.
I felt like he was saying i was wasting his time.
 
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Aneeda72 said:
I got the date mixed it. It’s actually the 12th, so tomorrow. I think I’ve had a senior moment week 😂
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I have had so many skin cancers over the years, nose ,face ,leg, back , Bcell lymphoma and am now nursing a vicious growth on my thumb..mentioned on another thread...
Started off as a scaly pimple and now looks like this

I removed pic....I don't want to see ..... tooooo nauseating..:cool:

Surgeon looks at it for two minutes and says gotta come off or leave it ..duh!
Our local hospital where he operates has shut down til end of January (Covid) and I am on his waiting list which by the way also included cosmetic surgery. Makes me so mad. I think a cancerous thumb is more important than a boob job o whatever.....
I am told not to cover it and that is a real trial as we all know the thumb is a major part of the hand . I keep knocking it when doing things and it bleed sand I nearly scream with the pain. So I wait....

Good luck and I am with you in spirit my dear....
Thumb Up funny.jpg
 

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Jeni said:
good reminder
unfortunately cancer can look different
i went is as i had a growth that was odd shaped looked if growing was rough many of the signs listed in magazine articles .

a couple years ago right before covid........I had the dermatologist come in take a look from 10 feet away say "nope those are growths that happen as we age 99.9% never develop cancer, he could removed he said would just grow back."....

since i paid for whole appointment ....I had him look at the whole body was not going to pay for him to look for 15 seconds.

i told him "well this fit all those criteria in articles".................... and he laughed and said "yep,each time another one is released we got 40 patients like you with nothing to worry about".

I watch items on me or spouse............ but after that experience i understand why so many put if off or find it late.
I felt like he was saying i was wasting his time.
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That dermatologist, his wordings and tone were not good, but I suggest that you go to see a different one,
either next time you have any question or doubt about any spot, Or, just go again, at some point, for an overall check.

Don't let that one you saw, discourage you from protecting your own health.
They know that we cannot tell for sure, without their expertise. Dangerous ones can look a variety of ways.

I went to have some looked at, and I was told those were fine, so I could stop worrying about them;
However, a different one that I never would have thought to be bad, was spotted by them, and yes, it did definitely need to come out!
 
Some doctors are just jerks. I saw a GI doctor for 3 decades. I had a really bad problem but he said I already had surgery and it was fine. Went to ER several times. Finally, 6 months later he did another colonoscopy. When I woke he told me I had to have surgery in 6 weeks or less or I would die.

😱

A portion of my intestine had died and was bleeding. This stupid doctor teaches at the UofU. If a doctor doesn’t believe you or treats you badly, get a new doctor. 😂. One of Aneeda‘s life lessons.
 
Thanks for sharing this experience @Aneeda72.

Skin cancer is rife in Australia because of the climate and it is wise to have regular check ups with your local doctor. I'm due for one now.

I recommend the full birthday suit examination. My doctor noticed something on my upper arm that was of concern. It was basically a smallish dark mole with a slightly irregular edge. He cut it out and sent it off for pathology and it was developing into a melanoma, fortunately it was stage 0. The next step was a referral to a plastic surgeon who incised more tissue and did some fancy work on the skin.

Some years later I pointed out something near the corner of my eye that was persistent. He referred me to a different surgeon and I was scheduled for an operation to deal with this lesion and another one that was just inside the hair line. The latter was excised with simple stitching and the one near the eye required a flap to cover the gap. The most interesting result was that at a post op appointment I received the news that there were actually no cancer cells in the lesion I was most worried about (near the eye) but the one inside the hairline was indeed cancerous. For a moment I was somewhat speechless until I realised that I had just received good news in that I was free of cancer, at least for the time being.

I've also had a basal skin cancer removed from my foot. At first I thought it was just caused by my shoe until I realised that none of my shoes were rubbing the skin at that position. The GP tried to deal with it with a powerful cream that required government approval to prescribe. Two courses of treatment reduced it but failed to completely remove it, so off to the surgeon again. The cells had formed nodules that were resistant to the cream and the cancer was removed using the skin flap technique.

With regular skin checks I hope to be able to deal with future skin cancers before they require surgery.
 
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Yes and yes. Get checked once a year if you can-entire birthday suit. That small red spot on my cheek could be mistaken for a simple blemish or scarring from when I fell. Because it was “rough” I went in, and was surprised when it could not be frozen. Plus a couple other places as well. The spot on the crown of my head was driving me crazy. All gone now. 😊

I stress ate everything in sight today ☹️. Not because I am worried about how I will look. I am worried about how I will be able to eat. Food insecurity is a terrible burden; and I have never been able to completely overcome it.

I might be forced to have a malt for dinner. 😂
 
Aneeda72 said:
After numerous tries my husband finally took a picture of the side of my face with the cancer on it. (As in no, not that side, no not your finger, and finally, yes, that’s right. Really it’s not that hard. 🤦🏻‍♀️).

If you look at the tiny red mark, right across from the end of my nose, right above the fold of skin, that is squamous skin cell cancer; which can spread and kill you. It is just a slightly darker spot than my rosy cheek. 😊

If you felt it, the skin would be rough and dry as if you needed to just put lotion on it. Most people would not know that this is skin cancer. This is why YOU must see a skin doctor. Even a GP could miss this one. Or spray it, thinking it was basal and not squamous.

You can also see, due to my wrinkles, I’ve got skin to spare. 😂. And the two somewhat brown spots below my eye that were purple and are now brown after being sprayed. The scar from the fall is hidden now in the folds of my skin since I lost weight.
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I see the red mark. It looks pretty innocuous doesn’t it? 🤦🏼‍♀️

I’m really glad you’re being diligent Aneeda. I don’t have the kinds of wrinkles that would hide the incision down my cheek. Though I’m not a vain person, I still wasn’t looking forward to the scarring. As it turns out I had an exceptional surgeon, I got really lucky, and you’ve seen enough photos of me on here to see that there is no apparent scarring unless you look very, very close. The only person who gets that close to me is my husband! 😉

Well, the littlest grands do, but they’re not yet at the age for that level of discernment. 😉
 
Thank you @Aneeda72 Skin cancer is more prevalent and dangerous than many are willing to admit. Even many MDs aren’t listening when we talk about unusual growths.

My friend went to her GP about a spot and he agreed to send her to a surgeon who specialized in cancers above the neck. That surgeon took one look and told her not to worry about it, it was the other little tiny one nearby that was very bad. She got in, just in time. I ended up at that same surgeon a year later for Mohs surgery.
 
I had a white, raised bump on my cheek several years ago. It was diagnosed as some type of benign skin cancer and the dermatologist cut it out, which left a slight indentation and scar. Weirdly, it became a boil a couple of years ago but it went down. Now it is back again as a raised bump. I have an appointment with a dermatologist this month. I'm hoping to not get cut again. :( I rarely get sun these days, but I grew up in Florida and used to bake in the sun. It's all coming back to haunt me now.
 
Australia is the worst country for skin cancers,over the years have had about eight or so removed (Surgery) back,arms, head, Face. But hardly surprising when think back in the day would spend endless hours at the beach smothered in coconut oil.Now have mole mapping every six months just to keep an eye on things being a pensioner the service is free.
 
kburra said:
Australia is the worst country for skin cancers,over the years have had about eight or so removed (Surgery) back,arms, head, Face. But hardly surprising when think back in the day would spend endless hours at the beach smothered in coconut oil.Now have mole mapping every six months just to keep an eye on things being a pensioner the service is free.
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Yep, used the coconut oil as well. Hawaiian Tropic with no sunscreen. We are paying for it now.
 
So was put into a chair, much like a dentist chair. Laid back, given 2 shots by the nurse. Took antibiotic due to recent hip surgery. Doc comes in, makes first cut, ouch. Gives me another pain shot, cuts a bowl shaped piece out as the pamphlet said. About the size of a dime (thank heaven), then they take it to look at. They sit you up, you can stay in the chair or sit in a regular one.

I switched to a regular one. They got all the cancer out. 😊. The worst part was they used an electric tool to “burn” the blood vessels closed, and you can smell your flesh burning. Not a pleasant moment psychologically. But hardly any bleeding. Then they use internal and external stitches. I have 12 stitches to close the incision, will take pictures tomorrow.

Wash wound once a day with mild soap and water. Treat once a day with white vinegar and water mixture. Apply ice pack for swelling-not done this as it doesn’t feel swollen. Keep covered. Stitches will be absorbed in couple of weeks. Call if really red or looks infected.

Was done in an hour and half. Just starting to hurt now. Got ice cone for being a good girl. 😂
 
Aneeda72 said:
So was put into a chair, much like a dentist chair. Laid back, given 2 shots by the nurse. Took antibiotic due to recent hip surgery. Doc comes in, makes first cut, ouch. Gives me another pain shot, cuts a bowl shaped piece out as the pamphlet said. About the size of a dime (thank heaven), then they take it to look at. They sit you up, you can stay in the chair or sit in a regular one.

I switched to a regular one. They got all the cancer out. 😊. The worst part was they used an electric tool to “burn” the blood vessels closed, and you can smell your flesh burning. Not a pleasant moment psychologically. But hardly any bleeding. Then they use internal and external stitches. I have 12 stitches to close the incision, will take pictures tomorrow.

Wash wound once a day with mild soap and water. Treat once a day with white vinegar and water mixture. Apply ice pack for swelling-not done this as it doesn’t feel swollen. Keep covered. Stitches will be absorbed in couple of weeks. Call if really red or looks infected.

Was done in an hour and half. Just starting to hurt now. Got ice cone for being a good girl. 😂
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Glad it all worked out, Aneeda, and that the skin cancer is gone!
 
kburra said:
Australia is the worst country for skin cancers,
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A friend said this. She spent a few years there, mostly working outside. Had her skin cancers treated several times until it spread to other areas when she was in her 50s. Things didn’t end well.

It’s hard to convince young people that the beautiful tan isn’t worth it.
 
My sister was born with a big mole (birthmark) we were told , on her elbow,
she hated it….it was around 3inch radius……
when she was a teenager , it started sprouting hairs and other smaller moles….
drs and surgeons said it wasn’t cancerous……..
she suddenly had the mole removed , without our parents consent !,
 
I tried to get as good a picture as I could. I got confused 🤦🏻‍♀️ and took the pressure bandage off yesterday instead of waiting but no big deal. It didn’t bleed. The small ice pack made me nervous as it had edges that could stick into my eye so I tried a wrapped ice cute but it hurt. So, just put bandaids on and that was that. Today I start the wash and the vinegar treatment. After the vinegar you put vaseline on it. This is done for two weeks.5E502BF2-4DDD-45F1-8A51-C0F6E9609C70.jpeg
 
Aneeda72 said:
As you can see, they put the cut and repair where a wrinkle is so once it heals the scar should blend in. I think it will look fine.
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I agree. I think it looks as well as possible, and will blend in.
What a relief that procedure is behind you.

I hadn't heard of using vinegar (diluted) ....and daily, too. :unsure:

The Vaseline I have heard of, and I have done....I think it keeps it from healing over too fast, and therefore scabbing worse, as well as it protects it. Disclaimer: I am not a doctor and don't know what I am talking about. :rolleyes::D:giggle::geek:;):love:

I am glad it looks as well as it does, Aneeda! Looks like a good job to me. (I would repeat my disclaimer, but I think you can remember it, for as long as you need to! :LOL: )
 
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