It's referred to as MOHS surgery. The procedure is done in-office. You are given a couple of shots to numb the area. The doctor scoops or scrapes a thin layer of skin. This is taken back and checked. If they got all the cancer cells, you are free to go. If not, you have to sit through the procedure again. And again. And again, until all the cancer cells are removed.
I had this done yesterday. The first time, the needles hurt. There were two of them. My doctor did her thing and I was left to wait 30 minutes for the results. The door would open and I was told they didn't get them all. The first couple of times, no problem. The fourth and fifth, I was tired, hungry, frustrated, and scared. The sixth time the door open, it was finally over.
That part of it was. Next, I had to hurry to the plastic surgeon's office. I thought that it would be a quick and easy visit. That's what I was told. Wrong. There was a big hole on my nose that needes to be fixed, and it woudn't be a simple procedure. When he told me what he had to do, I cried, a little.
The doctor took two hours working on me. When it was over, he had a mirror brought over for me to look at. I cried. I tried not to, but it was such a shock. I looked like the bride of Frakenstein.
The ride home was miserable. The pain medicine was upsetting my stomach. When I finally got home at 6:30PM (so much for the couple hours, tops, that I was told), I tried to eat. It came right up. I was in a lot of pain, but couldn't take anymore pain medicine. I had an awful night. I got up a few times to apply an ice pack to the side of my face. I've been in a lot of pain today, but did manage to take one pain medicine. My face is swolen. The bruising hasn't showed up yet, but I was told to expect it to be bad.
In case you think I am exagerating, that is me in the picture.
