Mohs Surgery, Again

 I had a squamous cell carcinoma on my left cheek. The first excision was still positive on one edge, so the doc had to take a little more.

So, he took a little more and had it checked. It came back clear.

Then he stitched me up. I will go back in nine days to have the stitches out. In the mean time, I am alternating Advil and Tylenol.

Here I am all patched up and ready to go.

The Next Morning

I had a good night, but I woke up with some swelling around my left eye. That is to be expected. I am to leave the compression on for 24 hours, so I will change the dressing later this afternoon.

Later that afternoon... 

I washed the wound with soap and water. I covered it with petroleum jelly and dressed it with a non-stick pad and bandages.

August 20

I got the stitches out today. A space toward the bottom oozed throughout the week. Doc said it was one of the dissolvible stitches. They put steri strips on it and let me go.

Now, I just wait to heal. I am to leave the strips alone until they fall off. 

More Mohs Surgery

 I had two spots on my face: one on the chin and one on my cheek.  The chin spot was excised in one try. The cheek took two tries, but they got it.

Doctor marked the two spots.

After excisions, clean up

Both spots stitched

Pressure bandages applied

At Texas Roadhouse for lunch. Mmmm...

Update: Twenty-four hours later, I removed the bandages.

Mohs Surgery - 11/29/2022

 I had my surgery on Tuesday, November 29. There was a spot on my temple and one on my right neck. There is another on my left neck that will be addressed on December 6 when I get these stitches out. The first picture is a composite I made from images they sent to my patient portal. You can see the two spots before the surgery and then after cutting and after recon structure. 

Update: November 30, 2022

I am getting ready to remove the bandages after 24 hours.

This is the spot on my right neck. It has a piece of tape over it that will protect it until the stitches are removed.

This is my collar bone donor site. It looks very good.

This is my temple area. I am not sure what the material is made of, but it has some thickness to it so that the cross sutures will apply pressure on it.

After cleaning all areas, I covered the temple area. The other two are to remain open.

Marcia said, "Take a picture of this." It is the bandage that was over my temple area.

Update: December 10, 2022

The graft did not take. So the doctor removed it and cleaned up the wound on the eighth. I am  cleaning the wound with water and hydrogen peroxide and changing the dressing twice a day. Here are some pictures I harvested from a video I took during today's morning dressing change.

removing the dressing

a look at the wound

cleaning the wound

applying petroleum jelly

applying a new dressing

all done

It is supposed to ultimately heal nicely. It will just take a bit longer without the graft.

Update: January 9, 2023

I go back to the doc in two days. Here is what the "hole" looks like now. It appears to have healed over to me. Doc said should grow hairs back there, too.  Speaking of hair, I got a haircut today, a much needed haircut.

Mohs Surgery on Neck

 I had the stitches taken out of my eyebrow today, and then I had my neck surgery done. It took only one time to get all the basal cell carcinoma. He closed it with the kind of stitches that will not have to be removed.

Add caption

Update: 26 Nov

Took off the dressing. Just the steristrips left.
They will stay on until next Wednesday.

Update: 1 Dec 2020

Six days after surgery.

And here is the gif I made.

Mohs Surgery for Skin Cancer

 I had a consultation yesterday for two spots that I had biopsied a couple of weeks ago. One is on my left eyebrow (squamous cell carcinoma) and the second is on the back of neck (left, basal cell carcinoma). I will go tomorrow to have the eyebrow treated by surgery. The doctor will remove the spot with margins and some depth. He will then view the section under the microscope and note where he may have to go back and remove more. He will repeat this process until the margins are clean. Then he will stitch me up. So, the plan is to have the eyebrow done tomorrow and return in a week to have the stitches removed and at that time do the neck.

I had the same type surgery done on my right cheek back in 2007. 

Left eyebrow came back as squamous cell carcinoma.

Left neck came back as basal cell carcinoma

Update: 18 November 2020

I went to the surgeon this morning at 7:45 and got away about 1:20.He would cut out a section and check the margins under the microscope.Then he would know where to take out more if needed.  It took three tries to get all cancer.  Here are the pictures.

Getting ready for the surgery.

After three biopsies, the cancer is all gone.  The marks are for the skin graft. He cut that triangle shaped skin out and moved it forward to cover the big hole.

I asked how many stitches it took and he said fifteen. My son David said he could have done it iwith fourteen stitches. You can see where he brought the triangle of skin forward to cover the hole.

I am at home, and my left eye is almost all the way shut.I am to expect swelling and bruising today.

About five hours later, you can see my eye closing more. It is supposed to go black, too.

I will go back in a week to take the stitches out and have my neck done.

Update: 19 November

Here I am getting ready for my morning shave. My eye is completely closed now.

Later that day, 1:30 PM.  I took the bandage off. There is a steristrip that they glued over the site. I am to leave it alone, but if it comes off that is ok, too. I go back next Wednesday to remove the stitches.

As you can see, my eye is completely swollen shut.

Update: 20 November 2020

My eye is still swollen shut, but if I really try, I can open my lid  just a bit so some light gets in. I will just let it go for now and let the swelling go down naturally.

Update: 21 November 2020

It is Saturday morning, and I woke up with a slit in my deft eye that I could see through.

Update: 22 Nov

Update: 23 Nov

Update: 24 Nov

Update: 25 Nov

Today, I get the stitches out. Here I am before heading out to the doc.

Stitches out and dressing applied.

Update: 26 Nov

Dressing removed.

After cleaning with peroxide solution and putting
on a thin layer of petroleum jelly.

I made this gif to show the progress each day.