Sunday, July 3, 2011

Yet another surgery



It wasn't a rash after all....



Back on Thursday, I had to get a carcinoma on my cheek removed through Mohs surgery. It's where they take off your skin in layers until they get to clean skin.

Moh's Surgery

Not sure how confident I feel about a procedure titled "Double PacMan" but there you go. At least the stats say this is pretty effective, around 95% plus.

Anyway, the plastic surgeon who reconstructed my face had to take a skin graft from my clavicle to cover the area. So I have a big bandage on the side of my face now, where the carcinoma was, and a long strip of bandage going from below my neck to above my right shoulder, where he took the skin graft.

From what the plastic surgeon said, there are stitches under both of these bandages. Frankly, I'm not looking forward to looking at myself in a mirror. Even after everything is healed up, the grafted skin won't look quite the same as the original.

I guess I'm lucky, because if the cancer had gone deep enough in my face then it could have caused nerve damage, affecting my ability to smile. (It didn't, so I'm cool that way.) Also, the area is back on the side of my face, just in front of my ear, so it might not be all that noticeable anyway.

Also, not to be facetious about this, but I am a guy. If I were a woman, I'd think this would pose more of a problem.

After all, does anyone really think Guy Boucher is ugly?

Lightning Head Coach

Still though, this whole thing scared me. Hell, I just thought I had a rash.

So, the moral of the story is to look out for yourselves...

5 comments:

Maria said...

Oh Kirk, so sorry you are battling this! Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

--Maria

Kirk said...

Thanks. I have the bandage off now, and am wondering whether to post pics.

The skin-graft looks a bit like one of those "potato-skin" appetizers. It is however improving, as it's getting the correct color.

Maria said...

I just hope it doesn't come back. I do hope everything will be okay.

Kirk said...

Yeah, mohs surgery has something like a 97% success rate for this type of carcinoma, so the odds are definitely in my favor.

Again, thanks for your best wishes.

Dermatology Newport Beach said...

I do hope everything will be well with you.its the best method for the skin cancer. Mohs Surgery is a state-of-the art technique of treating skin cancer. The skin treatment delivers terrific results and is extremely helpful for treating and removing canceroustumors.