Basal Cell Carcinoma

Sar53

We arrived at the hospital at 7 this morning but there had been a mistake with the dates. We had received no letter or email only telephone calls.
The outcome is we have to go back tomorrow. Another early start as the hospital is a good hour away.
Very frustrating but they were very apologetic. Watch this space.

Oh that is frustrating! Hope all goes well tomorrow!

karmalady

sunflower the consultant will give you a help sheet, depends on the procedure. My sister has been especially helpful and I am passing some of her tips on

The vaseline is extremely important after cryo

Thanks Karmalady.

Franbern you and Bob Mortimer! 😂

Sunflower2

Alison333
I’ve been wearing spf 50 on my face winter and summer for years! Think the damage may have been done years ago!

The damage was done decades ago. Dermatologists are predicting a 'tsuami' of BSL's etc in the near future as those born in the sixties and seventies turn into 50+. This was the generation of package holidays abroad and no sun creams (indeed the opposite as they used to oil up the skin then.)

I have had three BSL's taken off my face in the past (11always by NHS), So, when I had a nasty looking white headed spot on the end omy nose four months, both GP and myself assumed it was another one. However check said it was harmless but no-one said how to get rid of it I took matters into my own hands( literally), sterlised pair off sharp scissors, and cut it off. Bled profusely for a time, kept dressings on it for 48hrs, then aired with use of antiseptic cream. It is fine now, just wait see if it re-grows!!!

Great 21st century GB, people pull their own bad teeth out, and others do their own minor surgery themselves

We arrived at the hospital at 7 this morning but there had been a mistake with the dates. We had received no letter or email only telephone calls.
The outcome is we have to go back tomorrow. Another early start as the hospital is a good hour away.
Very frustrating but they were very apologetic. Watch this space.

sunflower the consultant will give you a help sheet, depends on the procedure. My sister has been especially helpful and I am passing some of her tips on

The vaseline is extremely important after cryo

Sunflower2

Thanks. I didn’t get one in my appointment letter. Hope I’m not being too optimistic thinking they’ll deal with it on the day of my appointment.

A sheet I mean.

Thanks. I didn’t get one in my appointment letter. Hope I’m not being too optimistic thinking they’ll deal with it on the day of my appointment.

Karmalady,
Sounds like you’re doing all you can. Thanks for the list. I think staying in quietly and allowing your body to heal is a good idea.

You should get a sheet with all the blurb.

A few useful items to buy on the way home, if having cryotherapy

small vaseline
paracetamol
simple soap or similar
some gauze or lint
the soft tape to hold a dressing on skin

I am going through a lot of oozing right now on days 2-3 and it is very itchy and irritating. I left it exposed for most of the day yesterday but did a very simple dressing, lint smooth side to skin, with tape on the top. I made it loose and it was very helpful last night. I felt relief in the evening as soon as I put it on. It absorbed a lot so maybe lint is best

To reach the back for vaseline, I have a long handled plastic stirrer/spoon which is doing the trick, although awkward, it works

I was happy to have the first face wash yesterday, it felt soothed afterwards and I was careful to pat dry with a smooth cloth

A sister in aus had cream and she said the pain and irritation was difficult but worth it. The irritation appears to be over a longer period with cream, chryo is done and dusted more quickly. We compared notes

I am staying quietly indoors, just pottering, while my body copes with the problem

Grandma29

I had one removed from my face some years ago.
It wasn’t painful, had a local anaesthetic.
A slight scar although now it’s not visible.
I’m sure it’ll all go well for you.

Thank. Fingers crossed.

cc

Sunflower2

Karmalady,
No consultation ‘till Tues. Just the referral by the doctor who thinks it’s BCC. I presume they’ll deal with it on the day if confirmed. Thanks for the info on Cryo. I didn’t know if I would be given a choice so was keen to know how to choose. I’d rather they used which ever method gets it all.
I am keeping busy and Tues. doesn’t seem too far away.

I actually had to wait for ages once they'd confirmed it was a BCC, only if it had been something dangerous would they would done it immediately I think.

I’m just assuming they’ll deal with it on Tuesday.

Alison333
I’ve been wearing spf 50 on my face winter and summer for years! Think the damage may have been done years ago!

Supergran1946

I have had 28 bcc’s over the last couple of decades. In the 1970’s we all used to love getting a tan, not knowing the dangers ! Mine have been treated by surgery or recently by a cream called Aldara. The cream has to be applied daily for six weeks and has to stay on the skin for six hours, so it requires a disciplined approach. On this treatment I ended up with a very scaly nose, but the treatment was very successful and no surgery required. I now wear factor 50, summer and winter - like shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted 😂😂

Supergrand: Yep! Guilty of sunbathing in the 70s.

Lovetravel

I’m going in tomorrow to have 2 removed. One is on my leg and looks like a possible Bowens and one on my upper chest I couldn’t see looking down. The consultant dermatologist thinks it’s a BCC which shocked me. I went to see him last week only about my forehead as I had an itchy red patch that just wouldn’t go away he thinks that was a solar ketstosis. He used cryotherapy on it and also on a mole on my neck. The cryotherapy is uncomfortable to have done but acceptable. I had a headache afterwards. I really hope tomorrow goes ok for the other two which will require local anaesthetic.

Good luck. Hope all goes well. I have scaly patches on my nose too and have been given cream for those

karmalady

Thinking of you sunflower, keep posting about your progress

Thank you.

I had one removed from my face some years ago.
It wasn’t painful, had a local anaesthetic.
A slight scar although now it’s not visible.
I’m sure it’ll all go well for you.

MOHS surgery doesn't stand for anything Alison333 it's the surname of the surgeon whose idea it was .
It's used in cosmetic surgery because it is less invasive on delicate places such as your face.
Thankyou Dr Mohs.

Sunflower2

Karmalady,
No consultation ‘till Tues. Just the referral by the doctor who thinks it’s BCC. I presume they’ll deal with it on the day if confirmed. Thanks for the info on Cryo. I didn’t know if I would be given a choice so was keen to know how to choose. I’d rather they used which ever method gets it all.
I am keeping busy and Tues. doesn’t seem too far away.

I actually had to wait for ages once they'd confirmed it was a BCC, only if it had been something dangerous would they would done it immediately I think.

Primrose53

Had several done. Biggest one was on side of nostril so you get local anaesthetics and the surgeon cut like an L shape and cut it out then just managed to stitch it up. He did warn me that as my nose is not very fleshy he may have to graft skin from behind my ear but he just had enough and no more.

Some hospitals do PDT (photo dynamic therapy) which lasers them off, I guess it depends on the size and position. They didn’t give me that option.

They are removing these all day, every day and there really is nothing to worry about. 👍 then they write to you and tell you what it was and whether they need to see you again.

I know that methods of removal vary. Mine (on the side of my nose) was taken out as a "core" and then a couple of simple stitches used to pull it closed. It showed initially because it pulled a bit and increased my deeper wrinkles, but skin is obviously stretchy and I can't see where it was now.
My sister needed a graft (have you ever noticed that private medicine is far more fussy and expensive!) but it is invisible to a normal person now. My son's BCC was more extensive and there are some little scars which bother him but I really don't see them.

I had Mohs surgery (not sure what that stands for) on a small nose basal cell carcinoma. Once the injection is done (quick), it's fine. Very quick and I've just been left with a small thin white scar which hardly shows. Luckily, I did not need a skin graft. I also had a cheerful chatting surgeon and nurse but I was told it is a very common procedure - I would have been more worried if there had been deadly silence!

I also had stitches which came out a week later and had to wear a nose dressing for a few days which got me some funny looks at the shops!

Please try not to worry, it really is a small procedure and the injection really isn't that bad. It'll be over in a flash.

Now I wear factor 50 on my face everyday even if I'm indoors. Sunhats are good too.

My Mum had one removed from her forehead 5 years ago...took 20 minutes, in and out, virtually no scar

You can get very good hats from australia, I have several and my latest was from solbari. Large enough to pull forward and keep my nose shaded. I have also ordered a craghoppers shirt with a high spf rating. I want to be able to easily carry it and wear it open to protect my arms and back of neck. I did look into making one but could not source the right fabric

My sister says that she has seen people at her leisure centre going in to use sunbeds. Surely there needs to be more publicity about skin cancers in the uk. In australia my sisters get a free skin scan every years and they have had several lesions removed at an early stage

We didn`t have any sunscreen as children, later olive oil was popular and also ambre solaire oil. Consequences now for many

I have had 28 bcc’s over the last couple of decades. In the 1970’s we all used to love getting a tan, not knowing the dangers ! Mine have been treated by surgery or recently by a cream called Aldara. The cream has to be applied daily for six weeks and has to stay on the skin for six hours, so it requires a disciplined approach. On this treatment I ended up with a very scaly nose, but the treatment was very successful and no surgery required. I now wear factor 50, summer and winter - like shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted 😂😂