Basal Cell Carcinoma

I’ve been watching this thread with interest and slowly growing alarm. Last year OH showed concern about some marks on my back which I laughed off. I’m getting older, old people get brown patches etc… well, he pointed them out again recently so I listened. My skin is my current worry, it’s too dry, lots of eczema patches, more moles than before and now this. I haven’t seen a GP since 2017 and lost confidence in our village surgery and have been lucky health-wise but have taken the plunge and registered with a different surgery and made an appointment for next week to get these worrying marks looked at. Fingers crossed.

Franbern

I am surprised at people saying on here that they have been told that (on the NHS), there is upto a twelve months wait to check is something is a BCC.

Sorry, sounds to me a little bit of salesmanship to encourage se of private medicine.

I went to my GP with spot on my nose that was not clearing up. Was referred to hosptial to Dermatologist. As suspicion this could be BCC, referral came under Cancer care and received an appointment a fortnight later. Would not have been any quicker if I had had it done privately.

This time I was fortunate, NOT a BCC.

I waited nearly 4 years. I’ve posted a photo of the result on another thread. Not pretty.
Now I’m unsure if I should sue or not. I don’t want to because I can live with my nose now. But I really do want the medics involved to know how wrong they were and how dismissive of me.
I had already had a BCC and the one on my nose was behaving just like one. That’s because it was one!

LadyGracie

I have an SCC on my leg, I went to our GP 4 weeks ago tomorrow, he prescribed Efudix cream which I have to use once daily. I have an appointment tomorrow for him to check it. It has definitely changed. I have pictures if anyone would like to see, nothing gory.

Been on Efudix many times. You have to be very precise and only apply it to the exact spot ……. I use a cotton bud. If you get it on healthy skin it will go red raw.

I have an SCC on my leg, I went to our GP 4 weeks ago tomorrow, he prescribed Efudix cream which I have to use once daily. I have an appointment tomorrow for him to check it. It has definitely changed. I have pictures if anyone would like to see, nothing gory.

Sar53

Hope all goes well today Sunflower2 xxx

Thank you so much!

karmalady

Just to say that I am thinking of you today sunflower

Thank you so much. I really appreciate it.

Hi all,
Update on yesterday’s appointment. I arrived at 8.59 for a 9.15 appointment. I was questioned at the reception desk which was in the waiting room, by a woman who had previously been chatting animatedly to her colleagues, and had indicated to me by raising 2 of her fingers from across the large reception area, that she would be 2 minutes. I was not impressed as she was clearly not talking about a medical issue! When she came over I had to answer her questions through a gap in the window a couple of inches wide so all the waiting room could hear. Personal info. like name, address, date of birth, religion. I was not impressed. I have to say I was called quite quickly after that into a room where a young man had read my notes. Despite there being a bed and two chairs in the room, I wasn’t invited to sit down, so I stood there. He looked at the spot on my face and said he thought it looked like a squamous cell carcinoma and would arranged for it to be ‘cut out’. I’d have preferred ‘removed’ or some other less emotive phrase. In my mind I was thinking, ‘What? Now?’ I still hadn’t been invited to sit down. So as I stood there he asked me a few questions about it. He then said from his seat that I’d get a letter in 4 to 6 weeks. I was stunned. Is that just a letter or a letter with an appointment date? I showed him a rash on my face which had developed around the same time I had been to the doctors and he couldn’t identify it but asked if I would like some emollient samples. He then produced several tester sized emollient tubes and gave them to me. When I expressed the stress of waiting just for this appointment for two weeks he said it was the summer and they were busy.
The first 15 minutes of parking is free and you pay as you go out. I was 3 minutes over the 15 minutes in total and was charged for the next time period which was 2 hours. £2.50. I’m still in a bit of shock at the speed of the appointment. Am now looking into going private although my local Nuffield has even longer waiting lists. Clearly everyone is going private if they can afford it. I think today will be spent on the phone.

Thank you to everyone who enquired how my appointment went. I really appreciate it. I’ll keep you updated.

Wishing everyone who’s had the op well and speedy recovery.

I am surprised at people saying on here that they have been told that (on the NHS), there is upto a twelve months wait to check is something is a BCC.

Sorry, sounds to me a little bit of salesmanship to encourage se of private medicine.

I went to my GP with spot on my nose that was not clearing up. Was referred to hosptial to Dermatologist. As suspicion this could be BCC, referral came under Cancer care and received an appointment a fortnight later. Would not have been any quicker if I had had it done privately.

This time I was fortunate, NOT a BCC.

How are you coping after your procedure, sunflower? I hope all went well and you are doing ok.

Sunflower are you feeling ok oday?

Updates on individual progress are so beneficial to us all, much more realistic than the theory

Your dh is needing real rest sar, it is much harder to heal when we are older and the immune system needs to concentrate on the wound. Immune sytem is a very big body system that takes a lot of bodily resources. Easy meals and smoothies are best, not to overload the stomach

Even my cryo procedure knocked me back and for seven days I have just gently pottered and only around the house. My situation on day 8 is that I felt like gentle gardening but nothing more strenuous, yet

Day eight and oozing has all but stopped, crusting is almost complete, is a thick white scab and is itchy at times. Vaseline is invaluable as are cotton tops and dresses as they are against my removed back mole, which I cover in vaseline using a long handled silicone spoon. Healing is continuing and it will be at least day ten days before my nose scab partly removes itself. There is no solution that fits all, particularly at 75 when healing is much slower. I am guessing 14-15 days, when I hope to see red new skin

Hope all goes well today Sunflower2 xxx

Good morning all. I hope you are all doing well.
DH slept better last night but still has a headache. He has to return to see the Practice Nurse on Friday morning.
I think he is very surprised that he feels the way he does.
He had one removed about 4 years ago and says it was nothing like this.
I think they must have cut quite a big area of his forehead. It is covered so he cannot see what has been done.
He was very grumpy over the weekend and I felt like I couldn't do anything right. Good job I love him !!!!!!

Just to say that I am thinking of you today sunflower

Sar53

DH didn't have a very good night. One of the sites is bleeding a lot and he looks like he has gone ten rounds in the boxing ring. He has spoken to the Sister on the ward from yesterday and she has suggested his local nurse re dress the wound. The hospital is an hour + each way so not really an option to return.
He has an appointment with the nurse at 3.30 today.
He is in the shower at the moment with strict instructions to keep his head dry.
Hopefully he will feel better as each day goes by. Luckily he doesn't really complain about things.

Yes, it’s very early days. I’m sure you’ll see improvements soon. Hope today’s appointment goes well.

Karmalady: ‘I understand the frustration sunflower’

Thanks.

DH didn't have a very good night. One of the sites is bleeding a lot and he looks like he has gone ten rounds in the boxing ring. He has spoken to the Sister on the ward from yesterday and she has suggested his local nurse re dress the wound. The hospital is an hour + each way so not really an option to return.
He has an appointment with the nurse at 3.30 today.
He is in the shower at the moment with strict instructions to keep his head dry.
Hopefully he will feel better as each day goes by. Luckily he doesn't really complain about things.

I understand the frustration sunflower

Sar I saw your post on the good morning thread. Dh is naturally very tired, his body absolutely needs rest now, to concentrate on repair. I still need rest, my nose is still actively healing, day 4 and the fluid is oozing, nicely clear but the ooze is the transport mechanism bringing the healing products to the tissues that need it. My cryo is a physical trauma and your dh has obviously had a much bigger trauma.

I cannot see me being back to normal activity for at least 7 days. Patience is needed

Zeddy

After sending photos of a tiny but never healing spot on my nose I was referred to hospital. I had a biopsy that day, long wait for results. Had MOHS op for it and a skin graft from just in front of my ear. My nose never hurt but the skin graft site was sore for quite a while

Hope all is well now.

karmalady

Sar, I am glad it is over for dh, he has had a rough time

Sunflower don`t read this and get anxious, every procedure is different

I just had the consultation letter, the one they sent to my surgery, thanking them for asking him to see me. I never went through my surgery, I went direct. I have no idea of the protocol, would not have gone to gp first anyway, I wanted speed and speed is what I got.

Thanks. The waiting is getting frustrating!

Sar53

The deed is done. We arrived at the hospital just before 7 this morning and DH was operated on for just over two hours.
His poor head and face, very swollen, lots of stitches.
We arrived home at about 12.30 and he has gone to bed to rest. I think it will hurt once the anesthetic has worn off.
Hopefully that will be the end but never say never as one of them came back again.
He has to see his GP/Practice Nurse next Friday to see if the stitches are ready to come out.
I have put old pillow cases on the bed !!!!

Glad it’s done. Must be a relief. How’s he feeling today?

Sar, I am glad it is over for dh, he has had a rough time

Sunflower don`t read this and get anxious, every procedure is different

I just had the consultation letter, the one they sent to my surgery, thanking them for asking him to see me. I never went through my surgery, I went direct. I have no idea of the protocol, would not have gone to gp first anyway, I wanted speed and speed is what I got.

After sending photos of a tiny but never healing spot on my nose I was referred to hospital. I had a biopsy that day, long wait for results. Had MOHS op for it and a skin graft from just in front of my ear. My nose never hurt but the skin graft site was sore for quite a while

The deed is done. We arrived at the hospital just before 7 this morning and DH was operated on for just over two hours.
His poor head and face, very swollen, lots of stitches.
We arrived home at about 12.30 and he has gone to bed to rest. I think it will hurt once the anesthetic has worn off.
Hopefully that will be the end but never say never as one of them came back again.
He has to see his GP/Practice Nurse next Friday to see if the stitches are ready to come out.
I have put old pillow cases on the bed !!!!

Franbern: Yes, I’m sure it was all done years ago. Thank goodness for the NHS!
Not sure I concur with self surgery though. Sounds painful! .