topic Re: Update on my Mohs nose in Community Chat

Update on my Mohs nose

sophiamarie — Tue, 27 May 2014 23:15:20 GMT

For those who remember (or even care) - here's an update so far. The thread I had started at the end of Feb. has been "closed for commenting" - I don't know why.

Anyway, I went to the Mohs surgeon for a consult and he explained the procedure to me and also told me about radiation. He said I would have to commit myself to going every single day for X number of days, also the radiation thins the skin and if anything happens down the road, there won't be anything to work with, etc.... So I opted for the Mohs. His next opening was in one month but I had two graduations and a wedding so I made it for 2 months from then, which was on May 6th at 8:15 am. (btw, I am NOT a morning person, so my day didn't exactly start off on the right foot.)

So, I get the numbing shot (not too bad, just a "little p**ck and some stinging" which took seconds. Oh, they let my husband come in and watch everything. Then, I noticed if I closed my right eye, I could see everything the Dr. was doing. After the first "pass" I noticed a huge gouge on the left side of my nose. They taped me up and brought me to a wating room for people such as myself.

Then, after a little while (long enough to read a few lines in my Kindle) they called me back and he did another"pass"...... Another wait in the room. Back again for another "pass". More waiting (a little less time now).... Then, another "pass"..., and I was getting nervous because they don't tell you anything, except "there's more".... More waiting and back again and he showed me three circles. One had a complete red line around it, the next was about 3/4 red circle and the last one just a red dot at the 10 o'clock spot. At that point, they kept me there and he did one more, looked at it in the lab. and told me he was finished.

Then, if that wasn't enough, he said "now I'm going to do some reconstructive surgery". They talk among themselves as though nothing is out of the ordinary. He started to look at my neck, my shoulder, and then decided to take a graft from right under my collarbone, about the size of a stamp. I watched as he placed it on top of the cavern on my nose and to me, it didn't look quite even. He took it off, did something and then placed it back and it looked like it fit perfectlly. In fact, I said "that's perfect"..... He then told me to close my eyes because he was going to do some squirting. I didn't and he didn't squirt either, so we were even..... After each "pass" he did some cauterizing, which didn't smell too great...

To end all this, I got 20 stitches on my nose and I don't know how many on my collarbone, but all in all, there was ZERO pain before, during or after. I swear it didn't take him more than 5 minutes for all those stitches. It was that fast... He gave me a RX for Percocet but I didn't even have to take one. Bactroban to cover the "wound" and gauze to cover the Bactroban. Tomorrow, I go back to see if this graft has taken. I can't tell because some of it looks the color of my skin, and some doesn't and then those darn stitches get in the way too. I don't know what they do if some "takes" and some "doesn't"????? Oh, BTW, on my last "stay" in that wait room, a lady came in with bandges on her nose exactly like mine and they told her that she was going to have to go downstairs to the plastic surgeons because they were going to take skin from her forehead and attach it to her nose, so she will grow a new nose..... OMG - and she was elderly and alone too but it didn't seem to phase her......

Back to me - so I will certainly be back tomorrow with another update. I just wanted everyone to have something to think about until then and if anyone ever has to go through anything like this (I hope never) I would certainly recommend MOHS...... He also told me I might end up with a white spot that I might want to cover with "powder"..... Powder????? I think Dermablend would work better, right???? Oh well, I will have to wait to see if I have a nose left to cover after this is over.

Remember - MOHS for the nose and keep your eye open......

ETA - I forgot to mention that he wanted me back there 2 days later just to take a look-see. Everything looked okay to him, so my next appt. is for tomorrow. It was 3 weeks ago today that this was done.....

Re: Update on my Mohs nose

LyndaGee — Tue, 27 May 2014 23:29:28 GMT

That was quite an ordeal. Sounds like you have a good doctor. Hope your healing process goes well and easy. Good luck with your appointment tomorrow.

Re: Update on my Mohs nose

Melania — Tue, 27 May 2014 23:34:56 GMT

My friend had all of what you had but had the plastic surgery scheduled right away. Her nose looks great!! I was with her through the whole thing.

They have to keep taking slices to make sure they got it all...it's great he could fit a piece of skin to repair it. He sounds very good!

She now uses a special cream that can treat pre-cancerous cells so it doesn't get that far again. It blisters when there is pre-cancer but it heals quickly.

Re: Update on my Mohs nose

Mama Mia — Tue, 27 May 2014 23:36:17 GMT

sophiamarie, you are a poet and don't know it!! Please take care now, and I do care, this is a big procedure, keep us updated if you care to.

my edit sp

Re: Update on my Mohs nose

kdgn — Wed, 28 May 2014 00:45:36 GMT

When he clears you, regular foundation should cover any spot. Mine was on the side of my neck, stitches to close.

Re: Update on my Mohs nose

RainCityGirl — Wed, 28 May 2014 18:10:20 GMT

Geez. I am supposed to have three spots removed in June. I didn't realize it would be so complicated. Now I am a little worried. Thanks for the info.

Re: Update on my Mohs nose

sophiamarie — Wed, 28 May 2014 18:18:18 GMT

On 5/28/2014 RainCityGirl said:
Geez. I am supposed to have three spots removed in June. I didn't realize it would be so complicated. Now I am a little worried. Thanks for the info.

I hope I didn't scare you off. Please go ASAP... Don't wait too long. I am leaving right now for the doctor. Have a 1:45 appt. and hubby is tapping his foot. Will come back with an update. The first thing the Dr. said to me when I had the "consult" was "the good news is this will never kill you"...... He went on with more good news and it sounded okay. It also doesn't spread to any other organs. I'll find out more good news and come back later this afternoon.

I really hope I didn't scare you. Look at me - I'm not scared at all. Just frustrated and not happy having to go out with a bandaged up nose. A friend of mine in Atlanta is at her Mohs doctor right now, having one removed. She said she waited at least a year and it is in the middle of her cheek down to her upper lip. She said it is 2" long. She will also call me later with her results. She was also there last year and had multiple spots removed. None are as bad as the nose IMO because the nose has no "meat" - just cartiledge......

Keep your chin up. BBL

Re: Update on my Mohs nose

RainCityGirl — Wed, 28 May 2014 18:29:25 GMT

I'm not scared, but I guess I thought it would be much more simple than you have described. I have one squamous cell on my temple and two small basal cells just under my nostrils. Over ten years ago, I had a basal cell removed from my cheek, but they were not using Mohs then. The dermatologist just scraped it off. She said she could tell by touch where the basal cell ended. So far it hasn't returned there, though I have kind of a white scar. Now everything has changed as to methodology. I have very fair skin since I inherited my mother's red head skin, though I'm a blond. I am not the most conscientious when it comes to sun screen either, though I don't deliberately lie in the sun. My guess is I am getting the results of all the horrible sun burns I had as a kid. We had sun tan lotion, but no SPF coverage at all. My friends and I used to put iodine in baby oil in the hopes of getting a better tan. We basically fried ourselves, and we STILL didn't get envious tans. Fair skin just doesn't tan.

Re: Update on my Mohs nose

kdgn — Wed, 28 May 2014 18:56:15 GMT

On 5/28/2014 RainCityGirl said:
Geez. I am supposed to have three spots removed in June. I didn't realize it would be so complicated. Now I am a little worried. Thanks for the info.

It's not always this complicated. Prior to MOHS, a person would have to keep going back to the dermatologist until the biopsy came back clear. Imagine how many times the OP would have had to revisit!

Many years ago I had a biopsy done on a spot on my forearm. It came back as squamous cell and the doctor went back, aggressively this time. The pathology showed clear edges so that was the end of it. But he was aggressive-I have a large dip and an almost 2inch scar. Nowadays he would do what he did on my neck: the initial biopsy showed squamous cell and I went back for the MOHS procedure. He only needed to do one removal, not as deep, and that was it. I did have stitches but the scar is fading fast.

The MOHS is more precise, allowing the doctor to remove less tissue at a time as opposed to more drastic measures of the past.

Re: Update on my Mohs nose

Jessa9 — Wed, 28 May 2014 20:33:46 GMT

Sophiamarie...I also had the Mohs procedure around 8 years ago and it was successful...I wish you the best.

Re: Update on my Mohs nose

sophiamarie — Wed, 28 May 2014 21:26:55 GMT

I'm baaaaaack.....

So, they took off my bandage and he told the nurse to remove all the stitches and then to call him back in the room. She removed the stitches - snip and tug, snip and tug... No pain at all... Then he came back in and put the overhead bright light all the way down to my face and looked closely, pushing gently, squeezing gently, asking for gauze and peroxide and he cleaned all around my stitchless nose. Then he pulled up some skin and snipped it off. Again, no pain at all..... He also removed the stitches from the donor site at my collarbone. They are very precise and work very fast. Everything is right there in front of them.

He said everything looked good and to keep dressing it with the Bactroban and strips of adhesive for another week. Come back in a month. Voila - that was it..... Not a bad experience at all... I was expecting a lot worse... I am a pessimist.

There was a lady in the waiting room (new patient) from Colombia. She was very nervous, wearing a strip of tape on the bridge of her nose and on the side of her nostril. She was beautiful and had the nicest whitest skin. She looked at my bandages and started talking to me. She is 50 y/o and had her biopsy done in Colombia. She said she screamed in pain - and that was just the biopsy.... No wonder she was apprehensive.

She said she shopped around and didn't like any of the doctors she saw until someone recommended this group.... I reassured her that she wouldn't feel anything. As I was leaving, she was being called in. I know she'll be happy after they are finished with her. She knows they will most likely have to take skin from another site because that's what she was told......

I am one of those who used baby oil and iodine. I have real olive skin, so you can imagine how tan I was after lying in the sun day after day for about 30 years. Living in Florida didn't help the skin back then either - but who knew?????

Anyway, I'm glad it's over and it only took 3 weeks. Just a little tape on my nose. I'm sorry if I made it sound so complicated but not everyone has to have to go back in 4-5 times either. Some people get done after just one or two "passes".

There's nothing to be afraid of... Get it done and keep us informed. Better to be safe than sorry.

RCG: You are going to a Mohs doctor, right???? The only problem I had (and you'll have it too) was that I couldn't wipe my nose. I just had to blot, blot, blot.... Not pleasant.... At least I didn't sneeze or cough.... Sometimes, when I laughed, I could feel some tugging, but I guess it didn't hurt, 'cause everything turned out okay.... I am so glad this is done with....

Re: Update on my Mohs nose

sophiamarie — Wed, 28 May 2014 21:52:36 GMT

On 5/28/2014 JESSA said:
Sophiamarie...I also had the Mohs procedure around 8 years ago and it was successful...I wish you the best.

JESSA: I just saw your post... Thanks for the good wishes. Eerything worked out well with no complications. This is the only way to go. It was done in one visit 3 weeks ago, with the final visit today to remove stitches and clean up the site. Another follow-up in a month.....

My husband snuck in a few pictures too, so we have documentation from beginning to end....

Re: Update on my Mohs nose

RainCityGirl — Wed, 28 May 2014 22:33:13 GMT

On 5/28/2014 sophiamarie said:
RCG: You are going to a Mohs doctor, right???? The only problem I had (and you'll have it too) was that I couldn't wipe my nose. I just had to blot, blot, blot.... Not pleasant.... At least I didn't sneeze or cough.... Sometimes, when I laughed, I could feel some tugging, but I guess it didn't hurt, 'cause everything turned out okay.... I am so glad this is done with....

Yes, I am going to a Mohs surgeon. However, mine is on my temple and just under my nostrils on my upper lip area. They are starting with the most difficult one first: the squamous cell spot on my temple. That one looks red and inflamed. I hope it hasn't spread way out on my face since I only discovered it a couple months ago.

Re: Update on my Mohs nose

Jessa9 — Wed, 28 May 2014 22:37:49 GMT

On 5/28/2014 sophiamarie said:
On 5/28/2014 JESSA said:
Sophiamarie...I also had the Mohs procedure around 8 years ago and it was successful...I wish you the best.

JESSA: I just saw your post... Thanks for the good wishes. Eerything worked out well with no complications. This is the only way to go. It was done in one visit 3 weeks ago, with the final visit today to remove stitches and clean up the site. Another follow-up in a month.....

My husband snuck in a few pictures too, so we have documentation from beginning to end....

Great to hear that sophiamarie...continued good health to you.

Re: Update on my Mohs nose

sophiamarie — Wed, 28 May 2014 22:49:35 GMT

On 5/28/2014 RainCityGirl said:On 5/28/2014

Yes, I am going to a Mohs surgeon. However, mine is on my temple and just under my nostrils on my upper lip area. They are starting with the most difficult one first: the squamous cell spot on my temple. That one looks red and inflamed. I hope it hasn't spread way out on my face since I only discovered it a couple months ago.

Hi: Good that you are going to a Mohs surgeon. They don't fool around and know exactly what they are doing. I think you'll do just fine since it's only a couple of months.

Please keep us informed. If this thread gets closed, start a new one. Good luck and try to stay positive. Above all, don't listen to any horror stories. I may get very "wordy" and some may think I had a complicated procedure, but it was kind of like a walk in the park compared to some stories I have heard. It was all done in one day. At least you'll know one of yours will be finished in a day and maybe even both. My friend in Atlanta had two done in the same day (last year).... I'm still waiting to hear from her today, since her appt. was for 10 am this morning. I've been home since 3:15 and no word yet.

Again, good luck and don't worry.

Re: Update on my Mohs nose

RainCityGirl — Thu, 29 May 2014 01:35:52 GMT

On 5/28/2014 sophiamarie said:
On 5/28/2014 RainCityGirl said:On 5/28/2014

Yes, I am going to a Mohs surgeon. However, mine is on my temple and just under my nostrils on my upper lip area. They are starting with the most difficult one first: the squamous cell spot on my temple. That one looks red and inflamed. I hope it hasn't spread way out on my face since I only discovered it a couple months ago.

Hi: Good that you are going to a Mohs surgeon. They don't fool around and know exactly what they are doing. I think you'll do just fine since it's only a couple of months.

Please keep us informed. If this thread gets closed, start a new one. Good luck and try to stay positive. Above all, don't listen to any horror stories. I may get very "wordy" and some may think I had a complicated procedure, but it was kind of like a walk in the park compared to some stories I have heard. It was all done in one day. At least you'll know one of yours will be finished in a day and maybe even both. My friend in Atlanta had two done in the same day (last year).... I'm still waiting to hear from her today, since her appt. was for 10 am this morning. I've been home since 3:15 and no word yet.

Again, good luck and don't worry.

Thanks for your encouragement and response. How sweet of you. Best of luck to you too. Hope this is the last of the skin problems for you.

Re: Update on my Mohs nose

birddrops — Thu, 29 May 2014 01:56:17 GMT

Oh my gosh! I thought this thread had a typo and it was about some kind of rose. I can't believe what you have been through! And you have such a great attitude. I recently had three precancerous lesions ""burned"" off my nose and face.

I will have to read more about this Mohs procedure. Good luck to you and I hope this will be the end of your dermatology problems.