Mohs

[Nelson Bradford]

Any NazNetters had Mohs procedure?
On your face?
If so, I'd appreciate you posting here what to expect.
Thanx
-neb
ps - Isn't God good?!

[Diane Likens]

I've not had it done, but my sister-in-law did. On her forehead. She had some pain but not much. Very little scarring. You'd have to know what to look for.

[Vivian Cornwell]

I had it last summer, at the corner of my nose. I didn't have any pain. The area is still a little numb. Because of it being near the nose, I had a little trouble breathing at night when I slept on one side. The area was more swollen than the doctor liked so he injected a steroid shot a couple times. He gave me the option of opening the area up again and taking some tissure out but I opted to just let it go. I can still see the scar but others say they don't notice it when they look at me. My doctor says the scar will gradually go away in about a year.

[Vivian Cornwell]

Any NazNetters had Mohs procedure?
On your face?
If so, I'd appreciate you posting here what to expect.
Thanx
-neb
ps - Isn't God good?!

Also, Nelson, I had to have the procedure in two days because Medicare wouldn't pay for it if I had it done all in one day. Crazy isn't it!! The area looked terrible right after the operation but healed up nicely.

[Billy Cox]

Any NazNetters had Mohs procedure?
On your face?
If so, I'd appreciate you posting here what to expect.
Thanx
-neb
ps - Isn't God good?!

I've had that procedure on my face. As with other minor procedures, the painkiller shots are the worst part - although the smell of burning flesh is exciting too. I had 4 rounds which left a pretty deep gouge in my nose, but it healed up remarkably well - leaving only a flesh-colored scar.

I opted out of reconstruction/grafting, primarily out of not wanting any more shots/cutting.

[John Kennedy]

Had one about 20+ years ago. It was done at my dermatologist's office by a Mohs surgeon who had a So Cal circuit. I was in for about 8 hours. They would deaden the area (slightly forward of my right ear), cut out a chunk and take it into the lab for testing and then call me back in extract more. This kept up 'til they ran out of positive tissue. Wound up with a nickel-sized, 1/4" deep hole in the side of my head. Went back to school the next day and told the kids, when they asked, that I'd had brain surgery using a new lateral entrance technique. One of my parents sent back word, jokingly I hope, that eveidently the operation didn't work. We all laughed and got on with our lives. Healed back quickly - skin evidntly has some real regenerative powers.
In January I start an efudex (sp?) procedure) procedure - kind of a chemical sunburn. I've had that before. You lay in bed at night and feel your skin crack. Awesome. Guess it all goes with the fair skin/blonde hair bit. Honkies eventually pay the bill for fun in the sun.

[Vivian Cornwell]

As with other minor procedures, the painkiller shots are the worst part - although the smell of burning flesh is exciting too.

The shots were the worst part but they were over with quickly. The rest took a while, waiting for the report to come back and then to have more tissure removed when there were still cancer cells present.

[Nelson Bradford]

I was told last week that afterward I'll have a "character line" on my forehead, to which my bride replied, "He's already a character."

This is my 3rd BCC incident - my left shoulder in 2010, my right thigh earlier this year and now my forehead.

I am thankful for modern medicine.

-neb

ps - Isn't God good?!

[Nelson Bradford]

I had (past tense) basal cell carcinoma above my left eyebrow that could easily been covered with the end of a pencil eraser.

The doc this a.m., using the Mohs technique, removed it all, thank the LORD. I had to wait for more than 1 1/2 hrs for the good report but the wait was well worth it.

Then began the "closing" procedure, which I found much more difficult than the initial deal. Because I asked, I saw the "hole" - approx the size of my thumb nail, and then the 4,374 stitches going approx the length of the Nebraska state line - across my forehead.

I have been assured, eventually the scar will fade away. I wonder if those same people also believe Elvis is still alive.

I'm to leave the bandage in place until Wed a.m. - then keep the incision area moist by applying some ointment 2/day until I return next Mon for stitch removal. I would not be surprised if my brain will fall out.

If I had one, that is.

I know I had a minimum of 10 shots (Novacain, maybe) prior to and during those two procedures so I've been dozing on/off ever since. I am now awake.

I think.

This has not been a fun day/evening.

But I am very thankful for the good report and modern medicine.

And answered prayer.

-neb

ps - Isn't God good?!

[Lee Branum]

I've had a Mohs procedure on my face over two years ago. I had a squamous cell cancer next to my nose. I thought it was a pimple but it never hurt and certainly didn't heal. One dermatologist tried to remove it but wasn't successful, so he sent me to a dermatologist that was a Mohs surgeon. He said he would take as much as he needed to "get clean margins". I have had no recurrence at all, and I will have to admit, he took quite a bit from the site, I didn't think it would ever be the same, but alas, it's fine now. He really knew what he was doing. He was a Christian, went to a Nazarene Sunday School as a boy, and now attends a sovereign grace fellowship. Needless to say, we talked some, and I left smiling. You really have to look where he did the surgery to see where he went around the round corner of my outside nostril, up to my eye and around. Amazing how one heals...he said it would take time for the feeling to come back, and it has taken a year for that, but it has not been a problem at all. Too much sun in the harvest fields of eastern washington I'd guess....

[Lee Branum]

Nelson, the surgeon will remove cancerous tissue to the point of having nothing but good tissue in all directions from the cancerous tissue. A Dr. Mohs was the originator of this procedure. He left me twice to check tissue under the microscope. I had to keep vaseline on the wound, they didn't want any scab at all. Mohs is the way to go in my humble opinion and I'm no doctor...

[Nelson Bradford]

I had the Mohs procedure Mon of this week and have told several people I wouldn't want to do that for a living. 8-)

The most difficult part was the closure. . . which took longer than the actual removal of the cancerous portion. Because it was on my forehead and there's not much skin there he made an approx 2" incision - which puzzles me.

I'm having some difficulty wearing glasses because my nose is swollen, effecting where the glasses fit on my nose - out of whack - feels almost like I'm wearing someone else's specs.

Further I've got a nice black eye - and almost look like I was in a bar fight, and lost. But I am assured eventually it will all work out just fine.

I, however, will probably not be asked to pose for any magazine covers.

At least not this week.



I am very thankful he got it all at his first attempt.

I am an almost 14 year prostate cancer survivor.

I still hate the word cancer.

-neb

ps - Isn't God good?!

[Jen Blackburn]

I'm glad to hear your procedure went well, Nelson. I haven't had a Moh's procedure, but ended up with a large skin excision (I have a 6" long scar on my left forearm), due to a melanoma being found there late last summer. I also have a 3" scar in my underarm area because the cancer was a stage 1b, so they put me out and did a sentinel node biopsy to make sure the melanoma hadn't spread to my lymph system. It hadn't, thank goodness. I also now have had 2 benign nevus moles removed from my left upper leg, and my dermatologist is closely watching a dark freckle/spot on the back of my right calf. I have to see a dermatologist for a full body scan every 3 months for 2 years, then every 6 months for the rest of my life. Considering the scare that we had, a visit to a dermatologist is nothing!

[Nelson Bradford]

this SHOULD be my final post on this subject.

Everyone who believes that stand on your head.

One week ago Monday I had the BCC removed - thank the LORD - and could not help but notice the 2" incision, to close the wound, was not straight. Not even close.

So Mon of this week I returned for stitch removal and asked - why not straight?

Answer: He followed one of your frown lines.

And sure enough - now when I raise my eyebrows that incision line is obviously right where it should be, not where I would have put it.

Then some day out there in the future, perhaps a year from now, when the scar fades away it will be hidden by my frown line.

Is that genius or what?

Thank the LORD for good medicine practices.

-neb

ps - Isn't God good?!