Monday, November 22, 2010

Let's Face It

So, I had a follow-up appointment today with a plastic surgeon. No, no, dear reader--I am not one of those vain folk who seek to alter their appearance. I am what I am--as Popeye said. But part of what I am is fair-skinned. German genes and all, I have red hair, blue eyes, and pale skin that only freckles (and burns if I am not careful).

That makes me obsessive about taking care of unexplained spots that appear and refuse to go away. I am careful to go to a dermatologist annually. A couple of years ago, I had a small spot under my right eye--I asked the dermatologist about it. He was dismissive--oh, it's nothing. But it stayed. I persisted, asking my family doctor about it. Eventually, when I got to a specialist who paid attention to my concern, it turned out to be a basal cell carcinoma, which had to be excised. So, obsessiveness pays off.

BUT, it can also be a bit embarrassing. Recently, I noticed two small spots on my face. Hmmm, could these be nascent basal cells again? So, I quickly made an appointment with a plastic surgeon. Last week, he did a punch biopsy (giving my husband endless amusement just to get me to say PUNCH biopsy). Today, I got the results.

A keratosis and a plain old flat wart. A wart? Really? It certainly did not look like any wart I had ever seen. But, it did embarrass me. Taking up the time of a plastic surgeon just to find out I had a wart.

Harrumph! And, embarrassed. But, but, but--I am very careful about not neglecting a budding skin cancer.

Sigh. . .

Oh, well--at least it gives me something to say at the Thanksgiving table--I am thankful that I don't have skin cancer.

14 comments:

Beverly said...

Oh my. You can't let stuff like that go. I've just had repair done on four squamous cell cancers...none on my face, but I've been fingering something on my cheek that probably needs to be checked.

Because of my myasthenia gravis, I take Imuran, an immunosuppresant. Because of that, my skin cancers seems to just abound, as well as warts. I have a wart on my face too. At least it's not on the end of my nose.

Those who are fair-haired understand.

NCmountainwoman said...

No reason to be embarrassed. You are wise indeed. But I know what you mean about the wart thing. My dermatologist biopsied a spot on my nose (of all places) he thought was cancer. Turned out to be a wart. My husband shares your husband's sense of humor. Wart on your nose? Are there other signs that you are a witch?

When I was a child we all needed to get a "good" sunburn at the start of summer before we went to the beach. (The smell of Noxema still makes me nauseated.) With that history of many such sunburns, I'm just like you. VERY careful.

amarkonmywall said...

Oh, excellent! Been there, done that and continue to do so, repeatedly. I'm happy there's no Mohs for you this time.

Anvilcloud said...

I have had a couple of suspicious blemishes removed. It turned out that they were both safe, but you never know.

Murr Brewster said...

Try not to get anything sliced off you might need later. I agree with the commenters above, as far as checking things goes, but I will admit I don't quite go along with the huge sun fear that all my contemporaries subscribe to. I did mess up as a young person (who didn't?)--frying in baby oil, etc. And so I may already be screwed. But I don't think we should slather up with sun screen all the time, either. I am a natural shade-seeker but I can't believe that our protective vitamin D should come in a pill. As a nutritionist friend of mine says, deflecting all the sun's rays no doubt protects us from skin cancer, but who knows how many other cancers it fosters from lack of D?

Climenheise said...

Any thoughts on the use of effudex? We share a skin type and many years in the African sun. My thing now is the redness of my nose -- veins near the surface. I used to wonder if Martin Schrag didn't notice how red his nose was, and now I have his nose!

"Punch biopsy" sounds like an procedure to discover if you are afflicted with some sort of British humour. You must have tetsted positive on that one.

Peruby said...

My daughter has had several moles removed. Most of them on her back. It isn't fun and it isn't fair. She and I both are fair skinned. Although she has the blond hair and blue eyes, where I have the brown hair (now dyed blond) and brown eyes.

Good luck with everything.

Jayne said...

As a nurse who has seen BCC many times in the Plastic Surgery Clinic where I worked, and worse, SCC (Squamous Cell CA), I applaud your being conscientious! I've seen some pretty darn disfiguring excisions due to people not getting things checked when they should.

troutbirder said...

Good plan! I do pretty much the same thing. And make sure my Doc zapped those "wild cells" on top of my noggin. Always wear a hat outdoors is what I remind myself.

Tossing Pebbles in the Stream said...

I have lived my life with many, many moles. I have them everywhere even in places of almost never seen. Having a partner in life would hafe made it easier to keep an eye on them :)
I largely ignore them but I am starting to think I need to pay more attention and get some medical advice on some.

Mauigirl said...

Good for you for being vigilant. Better safe than sorry is always my motto! I'm not fair-skinned but do have a lot of moles so I keep an eye on them.

Ginnie said...

Nothing embarrassing about having a good diagnosis...I'm so glad it wasn't another skin cancer.

Nance said...

Black Irish, here: black (gray)hair, green eyes, fair skin, freckles, age spots, keratoses, a squamous cell scar on my collar bone, and a family history of melanoma. My dermatologist's eyes flashed dollar signs when I showed up.

You'll never hear me to say lighten up when it comes to skin stuff.

Ruth said...

I get my spots checked occasionally as I had lots of tropical sun exposure like you. Both my parents and one brother have had skins cancer excised. Better safe than sorry.