Skin Cancer.

IKE

IKE

Well-known Member
Location
Oklahoma....U.S.A.
Those that have been here for awhile now that I've been fighting skin cancer (basal cell) for a long time......the first time I had it removed was in 1977 at the age of 27.

About a year ago I darn near lost a large portion of my nose to skin cancer but thanks to excellent doctors and skin grafts (taken from behind my ears) I was able to keep my nose.

Because of my past history I go every 90 days to my dermatologist and he always finds at least three spots that he feels may develop into cancer, that are still in their infancy, that can be treated without surgery by freezing.

A couple of weeks ago I went for my checkup and he froze three spots on my neck and shoulder but he also found three other areas, one on my forehead and two close together on the left side of my face in the side burn area, that he did a biopsy of and they came back positive for cancer.

This morning I went in to have them removed with the doctor and I both thinking that it was going to be a simple removal.....deaden, remove, cauterize and then cover with a dressing but with the exception of the one on my forehead it wasn't that simple.

The two on the side of my face were considerably bigger around and deeper than expected and between the two of them I now have thirteen stitches and a fairly large dressing covering both of the wounds on the side of my face.....I return to have the stitches removed in ten days.

Most here know that I cut up and seldom get all that serious on SF, as a matter of fact I do my best to avoid serious and argumentative topics, but I'd like to be serious for a moment.

Skin cancer of any type is very serious, while going through what I have I have sat in patient waiting rooms and have seen several people with all or part of their noses and ears missing.....my cancers have been pretty much split evenly between my face, back, chest and shoulders.

Earlier in life I never was one to lay in the sun to get a tan but I did spend quite a bit of time outdoors.

Everyone !.....and I stress.....Everyone !......needs to visit a dermatologist at least once a year for a full body check. A mole, bump or slight skin discoloration on your body that you feel may be nothing may very well be a life threatening form of skin cancer.

I urge everyone to schedule a appointment with a dermatologist for a full body check as soon as they can.
 

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Sorry to hear it, Ike. Hope you feel better soon. My hubby has had several skin cancers removed from his forehead and ear in the past few years and has regular checkups with the dermatologist. His are squamous cell carcinomas.

My father had melanomas that metastasized into colon cancer and eventually caused his death. He had skin grafts on his neck, half of one ear removed, and countless other surgeries for removal of the cancers. Skin cancer is serious and often deadly.
 

I've been to a doctor/dermatologist a few times through the years for some concerns I've had. I should start going on regular basis.

Thanks for the heads up IKE. I hope you're healed up and feeling better soon.
 
Ike, thanks for taking the time to do this important post. Makes me glad I was never into tanning and always finding a shady spot. But I will still heed your warning and get checked. Today's kids are risking skin cancer in big numbers.

Sending healing thoughts your way.
 
Great advice Ike!

Skin cancer has been a problem for some of the men in my family that made their living in the construction trades.

Hoping to hear a good report in ten days!!!
 
I just went to y Dermatologist yesterday for my quarterly check up do to my 35 year history of Basal Cell Skin Cancers. Three sites were biopsied.
Xposure to the Southern Hemisphere Sun, Australia & New Zealand is what did the job over the years.
 
Good advice, Ike. I've also paid the price of an outdoorsy lifestyle with several basal cell removals. I never courted a tan with tanning beds and hours laying in the sun but have always preferred to be outside rather than in and sun screens didn't get popular until I was mid-life. I look at my scars as proof of a life well lived.
 
I go to my dermatologist once a year unless I see something that looks odd. He's been using a new type of device that can detect early melanomas, avoiding biopsies on benign moles. It's easy to ignore a tiny spot, but it's prudent to have it checked out.
 
Hope all is well with you. I had to have two spots removed last summer. One on my arm and one on the side of my nose. Had them taken off using the MOHS procedure, where they take an area of skin around the spot as well. I have to see my dermatologist again this summer. Yep..we all have to be checked.
 
Sorry you are dealing with this IKE. I’m also an outdoor person and I had a cancerous growth removed last year. I’d had it for a long time. You reminded me that I was supposed to go back but I didn’t so thanks.
Good luck IKE. You are 10 years older than me.
 
Three days after my surgery I got a little close with the razor while shaving and cut one of the stitches and the wound pulled open just a tad but no biggie......the stitches come out tomorrow morning.

I can't stress enough the importance of having a dermatologist appointment at least once a year.
 

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