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08-07-2018, 09:21 AM #1
Squamous Cell Carcinoma
I wanted to post this as a reminder to everyone to take precautions in the sun.
Back story is that for about the past 12 years I've gone to a skin doctor for a yearly check up. Basically stip down and the doctor checks out everything for damage. Normally they'd find a few spots of minor crap that they would freeze off and that's the end of it. Good thing is the past few years the doc is a good looking female. But the rooms chilly so that doesn't help things....
Anyway, this year I noticed an odd growth on the back of one ear. I'd just scrape it off myself and it would return. Also, a sort of pimple on my upper cheek just below ear level. I'd deal with it, it would bleed and then return. So, with that in mind I felt I should go in early and get them checked out.
The doctor immediately looked at both of these and said she feels they are cancerous and that she needs to biopsy them right away. Fine. She scraped them off of both locations and I went on my way. All else was fine, just small as remember it's chilly in there. A week or so later they call and advise that both spots are "Squamous Cell Carcinomas" and that they'd have to schedule a meeting with the surgeon.
My appointment with the surgeon came and he advised surgery would definitly have to be performed on my ear. He examined my cheek and felt that the simple excisement for biopsy removed all the cancer cells, nice, but that he'd want to check more thoroughly when surgery is done on my ear.
Weeks later I go in for surgery. They tell you to dress warm as the surgery center is kept cold for health reasons. Also to pack a lunch if so inclined as you can be there most of the day. The surgery itself is quite advanced and called MOHS Therapy. This describes it:
Mohs surgery is a precise surgical technique used to treat skin cancer. During Mohs surgery, thin layers of cancer-containing skin are progressively removed and examined until only cancer-free tissue remains. Mohs surgery is also known as Mohs micrographic surgery
So, the good news is that when the surgeon examined my cheek he concluded that no surgery was needed. Yeah me that's a relief. During the initial biopsy they had to stick needles in my cheek. Not fun. I can handle needles about anywhere but in the face is not a first choice, by a long stretch. Ear ain't fun either for that matter.
They then started on my ear with the needles again. Lovely. Then the initial removal begins. Ultimately they bandage me up and send me back to the waiting room to wait for results and find out if they have to remove more or not. An hour or so goes by and the nurse advised they'd have to do it again. Awesome! So, round two gets done. At this point I handed my phone to the nurse and asked her to take a few pics for me as I obviously can't see the wound. She laughed and obliged. I then had to go back and wait again to see if a third round of digging was necessary. Fortunately it wasn't.
So, I'm now bandaged up and sent home with specific instructions to change it twice daily. I was also instructed to return the next day to get stitches put in. Both inner and outer. Next I was to come back in two weeks (this Thursday) to get them removed.
The cure rate for this type of cancer is very high, thankfully. I wanted to get this out there to simply remind everyone (or y'all) how important sun screen is. It can happen to anyone and literally could have been from decades ago. Note that some years ago here we lost a staff member to skin cancer as well.
Pics below are lovely.
Last edited by kelkel; 08-18-2018 at 07:36 PM.
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08-07-2018, 09:35 AM #2
Holy crap. I’m terrible about putting on sun screen. That pic just changed my mind. Glad they got it. Quick recovery.
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08-07-2018, 10:02 AM #3
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08-07-2018, 11:56 AM #4
This reminds me im overdue on my visit to the dermatologist, thanks!
Hope your ear heals up good, but maybe I could make better stitches myslef lol
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08-07-2018, 11:59 AM #5
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08-07-2018, 12:16 PM #6
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08-07-2018, 01:55 PM #7
Nice post Kel!
I work for a derm path lab doing biz development and see this stuff all the time.
Thanks for sharing
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08-07-2018, 02:12 PM #8
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08-07-2018, 02:40 PM #9
Excellent that they were able to completely remove the growths. The f-in stitch job looks brutal!
I have a couple of places on my ears as well that are monitored; blame it on the damn ginger genetics. To date biopsy comes back clean. Mine are on the upper portion of my ears so they get the max SPF if I'm outside long.
Used to do the boonie cap as well but there was a conspiracy between a persimmon tree and Jack Daniels. Somehow my hat got processed by the lawnmower.There are 3 loves in my life: my wife, my English mastiffs, and my weightlifting....Man, my wife gets really pissed when I get the 3 confused...
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08-07-2018, 05:00 PM #10
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08-07-2018, 05:13 PM #11
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I have had a couple removed over the years. First one was due to being exposed when I was a kid. I have one that I have to show my doctor next week at wife's request. Make sure your doctor checks you head to toe once a year.
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08-07-2018, 05:26 PM #12
Nude beaches...
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08-07-2018, 05:55 PM #13
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08-07-2018, 06:30 PM #14
Its in my genetics to get skin tags. I was hoping it missed me but this year I started tanning heavy.
Been finding skin tags stsrtin everywhere and I will not tolerate that. I dont care if I have to go in weekly they will all be removed. I think they are disgusting.
I am done tanning. I will use melanotan or the like.
Thanks for the post
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08-07-2018, 06:42 PM #15
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This stuff had not even entered my mind and I live in South India so it's fair to say the sun is a bit intense. Appreciate the post Kel.
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08-07-2018, 06:48 PM #17
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08-07-2018, 07:19 PM #18
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08-07-2018, 07:31 PM #19
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08-07-2018, 08:18 PM #20
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08-07-2018, 10:43 PM #21There are 3 loves in my life: my wife, my English mastiffs, and my weightlifting....Man, my wife gets really pissed when I get the 3 confused...
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08-07-2018, 10:47 PM #22There are 3 loves in my life: my wife, my English mastiffs, and my weightlifting....Man, my wife gets really pissed when I get the 3 confused...
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08-07-2018, 10:59 PM #23
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08-08-2018, 05:21 AM #24
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08-08-2018, 07:02 AM #25
Thanks for sharing Kel. I'm glad for the positive outcome.
Surprised that your ear wasn't leaner and more vascular than that. I can really tell that you have been slacking on the cardio.
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08-08-2018, 08:04 AM #26
Just a little shot of Lidocaine and they use what looks like an old soldering gun. Never have had any sliced off, maybe the method they use depends on the location of the skin tag?
Why do I get the feeling you're going to pop down a shot of shine and go stand in front of a mirror with a a Weller gun and have a try at it?Last edited by almostgone; 08-08-2018 at 08:06 AM.
There are 3 loves in my life: my wife, my English mastiffs, and my weightlifting....Man, my wife gets really pissed when I get the 3 confused...
A minimum of 100 posts and 45 days membership required for source checks. Source checks are performed at my discretion.
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08-08-2018, 08:09 AM #27
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08-08-2018, 08:31 AM #28There are 3 loves in my life: my wife, my English mastiffs, and my weightlifting....Man, my wife gets really pissed when I get the 3 confused...
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08-08-2018, 09:36 AM #29
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08-08-2018, 03:21 PM #30Staff ~ HRT Optimization Specialist
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I've never used sunscreen in my life but this is a great wakeup call. I Should use it going forward even though I don't get sunburned. I opened the picture and got distracted by the grey hair. Your avatar made me think you were in your 30's
Last edited by Windex; 08-08-2018 at 03:24 PM.
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08-08-2018, 04:07 PM #31
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08-09-2018, 09:53 AM #32
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08-09-2018, 01:00 PM #33
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08-09-2018, 01:16 PM #34
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08-09-2018, 01:19 PM #35
Seriously though Kel, you go every 12 months and this happened in between visits? That’s just scary to me. I’ve been terrible my entire life about sunscreen. Do they think it was there before but not detectable or it just grew that fast?
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08-09-2018, 01:31 PM #36
Def not there before. I would have noticed them. Especially the pimple like thing on my cheek. So yes, they came about in between visits.
Got the stitches out today actually. Doc said I should now visit them for checkups every 6 months. Get it once and apparently it can now rear its head easier, or so they said.
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08-09-2018, 01:59 PM #37
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08-09-2018, 09:10 PM #38There are 3 loves in my life: my wife, my English mastiffs, and my weightlifting....Man, my wife gets really pissed when I get the 3 confused...
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08-10-2018, 08:40 AM #39
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08-10-2018, 03:29 PM #40
Good reminder, Kel! Thank you!
~ PLEASE DO NOT ASK FOR SOURCE CHECKS ~
"It's human nature in a 'more is better' society full of a younger generation that expects instant gratification, then complain when they don't get it. The problem will get far worse before it gets better". ~ kelkel
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