Skin check is very important
Completed the work on the three basal cell carcinomas with my dermatologist today. On Tuesday he scrapped and burned a growth on my back, on Wednesday he did the same to a growth on the right side of my scalp and today he cut on my right forehead. The doctor sent today's cuttings (forehead was worst than other two locations) to the biology lab while I was still on the table and telephone report followed shortly giving me the all clear to go on my way. The doctor stiched me up (he did stitches internally and externally) while the flesh sample was en-route to the lab. I questioned him about this and he said in only about five percent of the cases did he have to cut the stitches and continue the work. I like a man with confidence.

I will take out my own external stitches in about seven days. The internal will disintegrate on their own. Daily, I have to cleanse the wounds and apply new bandages for a couple of weeks, perhaps three weeks for the forehead. The literature the doctor gave me said it is an "old wives tale" that wounds heal better in the air. I apply a medication to my back and forehead, but surprisingly Vaseline to my head. I got a haircut in the Robert Duvall style on Tuesday afternoon. It makes dressing my hair easier and less likely to interfere with the wounds when I don't have to comb, brush, fold and tuck those 137 hairs across my head from left to right.

I will return for a checkup in about six months and annually for five years. I plan to make an annual visit part of my normal annual physical routine.

One of the more surprising things about all this is that two spots on the left side of my scalp which I worried about (and two children urged me to see about) were shrugged off as meaningless by the dermatologist. He saw things we didn't. (See reference to confidence in Para one above.)

The worst part of the procedures is the needle to deaden the area to be worked on. Having needles stuck in your head is a thrill only for a masochist. I applied ELA-Max (a local anesthetic) about 45 minutes before the procedures began but thought that of minimal value. The first and second shots were the worst. Who knows how bad they might have been without the ELA-Max?

The doctor said the damage to my skin could have been done years ago and is only now manifesting itself. This was surprising and I urge anyone suspicious of any growth to have it checked by a dermatologist. My regular physician has been looking at me for a few years but nothing he saw sounded any bells. I believe a specialist is called for as we advance in age.


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