OK everybody…got any new lumps, “pimples” that don’t act like normal pimples, skin stuff that’s actively changin, getc, etc? This is a heads-up….have them seen by a physician with referral to a dermatologist if deemed “suspicious.”
Yup, I had a fast-growing lump–fast enough at first to convince me that I had a pimple on my nose. It wasn’t. When it didn’t act like a normal pimple (either in appearance or feel) R- insisted I find a dermatologist. I dragged my heels for a week, since the thought of having a “numbing” shot in the nose and then something cut off wasn’t that appealing. Nor was the prospect of driving to a medical office (not the nearest, they had no appointments open until January and I figured sooner was better) and dealing with traffic & road construction and so on. But I did in the end, and yesterday the derm guy looked at it and said ‘Yeah, almost certainly a cancer; we’ll biopsy it and get it off to the lab to find out which kind….”
So now I have had the shot in the nose and the lump mostly removed and sent to a pathology lab, and on the way home broke my diet (yesterday’s anyway) with a brownie bite and a croissant from a supermarket (the rest of same went to R-, who came with me, or are in the freezer for post-weight-loss occasional treats, though depending on the badness of the bad news expected from the path lab, another brownie bite may be a necessary psych lift.) I was told the local numbing stuff would sting (and I’ve had locals before and they always stung like wasps) but this time…no sting. I knew then *for sure* the tissue wasn’t normal. Felt the needle but nothing else but slight pressure. So there we are. Waiting 1-2 weeks for the pathologists to decide which kind of cancer it is, and thus what the “margin” around its remains must be cut out of my nose for safety. And whether any other treatment will be necessary. Can I just say “Ugh!”?
Meanwhile, however, we’ve had another little norther (a dry one this time) , and luckily for me a lawyer’s appointment had to be canceled because they had to attend a funeral (county judge died earlier in the week; the funeral’s today, and lawyers who don’t attend funerals for county judges don’t thrive. They didn’t SAY that, but I knew it from past events. I expect it’s true in other states than Texas, too. I’ve also got an infected toe (a minor injury from several days ago that I didn’t realize had actually made a hole into which germs could go…) so I can’t go out and “walk off” any anxiety about the pathology report. Fortunately (like having a heavy object in each hand) that sore toe is balancing the (not painful today) nose, so I’m not dithering around any more than usual. If the lump is either of the two commonest cancers for location, my age, medical history, it’ll be operable, done and gone, and at my age and total lack of prospects for becoming a top model or movie star…what’s a scar to me? The worst sequelae are likely to be too many visits to a dermatologist’s office and hours wasted driving back and forth on busy roads.
If you get a lump on your nose…get it checked. Same for other locations. Your daily PSA.
Best of luck with the nose.
Thanks. I’m focusing on all the other stuff that’s going on until the pathology report is back, but hoping for good (or only moderately bad) news.
Both my sisters have had basal cell carcinomas (the least dangerous of the skin cancers) develop on their faces. All were removed and life went on. Hoping it the same for you.
I’ll hope mine’s a basal, then. They were thinking squamous was more likely…the path lab will get the answer. But thank you for your good wishes and your encouraging words.
Sorry about the nose – but if you can’t be the glamour star, you can be the character actor. Not all of the people in the books of a certain well known author are beautiful.
I don’t need to be the actor at all…I’m the Writer. Heh heh heh. I get to play ALL of them in my mind, imagine them any way I want to…leads, secondaries, spotlight characters, all of them. What I look like doesn’t matter if you readers can “see” them when you’re reading and you enjoy the stories. Now I’ve enjoyed being onstage in an ensemble or solo, but not enough to want to do it for a living. Much easier to be the person who’s written the books, and discuss writing, horses, whatever.
I’m glad you got it checked. Better to have it off than growing and require a bigger surgery.
Hugs. And fingers crossed.
Thanks, Caryn.
One of my elderly friends went around with a bandage on her nose for more than a year. She was very, very stubborn and not coping well with the world at large. She died from pulmonary effusions for which she also ignored the doctor’s recommendation. She also refused treatment for her understandable depression; she had a daughter with Huntingtons.
Understandable that she was overwhelmed and unwilling to struggle harder to live longer. But sad that people get in these binds of misery and can’t get out.
Much better to get it checked and dealt with at an early stage. I don’t need to ask you whether your tetanus jabs are up to date, do I (thinking of your poor sore foot)?! Anyway, I hope and pray it’s a non-invasive type of cancer, and that you don’t have to have chemotherapy or anything like that for it.
Thanks for your good wishes!
My mom had some cancers removed from her face about 10 years ago (and she is about 10 years older than you). If they need to go back and do more, you may want to suggest that they go ahead and be more agressive. Her doctor kept taking just a bit, then sending it to the lab, then doing a bit more … it was one trip to the site but a LONG time in the waiting room. Her second one she spoke up and they just went a little further than they thought on the 2nd cut and had very clean margins. In the 10 years since there has been no recurrance or problems and she has a tiny scar.
Thanks for the suggestion…I wouldn’t have thought of doing that, but that time in the waiting room between slices would drive me bonkers. Let’s do it and get it over with. At least the biopsy one was quick.
I am applauding R for insisting you have it checked! prayers and good thoughts sent your way.
Yes, he’s been absolutely right. Both of us have an innate tendency to shrug stuff off, so we keep an eye on each other (and after the time he was really being secretive, not just dense, about a health problem and nearly bled out, we are more pushy, both of us.) Adulting is not always fun, but it does increase lifespan.
More applause for R. fine caring there 🙂
My SIL has had the biopsy on the nose in the last couple of weeks and is due to have the rest off on Monday. I sw her yesterday, even though I knew she had had it done it really wasn’t obvious and in her case the lump is just to the left of the tip of her nose. She is seventy. Obviously that is no guide to what will happen to you, but they do try to make sure you don’t scar. I hope your toe heals quickly so you can be out getting distractions jolly soon.
That about where my lump is/was. (It was sliced level with my nose but of course the stuff below grade is still there.) Fascinating that we both had left-sided lumps. Mine was not on the very tip-tip left side, but was close. Thanks for the good wishes.
Best wishes on the biopsy and any follow-ups! Kudos to R for insisting on investigations!
Thanks–see new post. R is definitely the good guy on this one.
Prayers sent.
I’ve had several friends come around over the years with such patches, etc. after such in the facial area. Don’t even notice the areas any more–especially in this age of masking up.
Thanks.
Getting such good insights into medical matters here in the posts and comments. And into life in general. Re-reading Gird;s
saga.
After a church service on gratitude had a delightful day with folks who came to help move furniture (roll top desk, sofa, etc), offer -ing tech help and organization too.
Then we celebrated our birthdays by baking a cake. Made a clementine cake of pureed simmered whole clementines, skin and all, with eggs and a bit of sugar … and then I forgot the almond flour and baking powder and it was yummy and held up like a cake should, even it was very thin. And quite a reasonable “diet treat.”
A good reminder for this older solitary person about asking for help and taking time to celebrate. Have a joyous Thanksgiving.