Bright and early Thursday morning RK took me down to the Dr.’s office for the Moh’s surgery. It was going to take a fair amount of time, so he returned home to await the call to come and get me. I was not the least bit nervous about the procedure, in fact the relief I felt at finally having this dealt with almost made me giddy!
I was prepped, very comfortable in a fully adjustable examination chair, calves resting on a grounding plate, sterile covers all over and a few stinging shots of local anaestetic around the mouth and nose already providing promising relief.
It seemed like an eterrnity before the Dr. and his surgical team gathered to get serious with me. A very calm team, everybody knew exactly what needed to be done, when and how and by whom. You could not ask for a better team. The Dr. started carving away at my lip, it felt quite strange since it was completely numb but I could feel the tugging. Fortunately, I couldn’t see any of it (I’m not good with watching live meat being cut, even on TV). When the first cutting session was done, the wound was cauterized - gaaack! The smell of my own flesh searing right under my nose was highly unpleasant… Tissue samples were then tested to determine whether further cutting would be needed. The testing takes a fair amount of time, so I semi-napped for a bit.
After two more cutting sessions, the tissue samples finally tested clean. Some serious cauterizing followed to insure the integrity of the wound until the following morning when I was scheduled for my re-constructive surgery at the hospital. I won’t want BBQ for a while - that smell is still in my nose.
Before the Dr. left the room to let his staff wrap me up, I asked if I could see “it”. “Are you sure you want to?” he asked. “No, but YES, I really want to see the extent of it”. I got handed a hand-mirror - e-gad! Half my upper teeth were hanging in the breeze with half the lip gone, and of course everything was still kind of bloody… OK, I admit to being shocked - but not horrified. I had no idea that the wound was going to be that big. but it was also reassuring - the Dr. cut until he was satisfied that all the cancer was gone.
The wonderful, gentle staff proceeded to wrap me up with pressure bandages held in place by “flesh colored” tape. By the time they were done with me I pretty much had an addition at the front of my face - very snout-like.
RK’s chauffeuring services were called upon, and he was forewarned about the somewhat rearranged facial features of his wife. He looked concerned when he picked me up, but he could also see my elation behind the exhaustion and mummy wrappings. I rested and gathered up necessities for the hospital the next morning. And I kept waiting for PAIN. No pain. Really. No pain.
It was a good day!
posted 02/28/10
more to come - we’ll see the zebra eventually!
