My Skin Cancer Story
 

Some of you know that I have been battling skin cancer for the last year. I have had several very fast moving squamous cell cancers.

It started out at the end of last May like an ingrown hair on my shin and began to hurt within a week. Small bump, like a shaving bump. I got in to see my dermatologist immediately and he did the biopsy and we got the results on June 1st that it was malignant.

My Mom died suddenly on June 6th and I was in such a fog and in so much grief that I didn't think a thing about the cancer.

My dermatologist had made an appointment for me to have surgery on June 25th or I probably wouldn't have followed up on it. I had one removed from my shoulder years ago that was no big deal. I have a lot of skin damage from too much sun my younger years and see my dermatologist every 6 months for growth removals, mostly on my back.

I had Moh's surgery on my left leg last June and it required 4 surgeries to remove all the cancer cells. The wound was so large that it had to heal as an open wound. I have been doing wound care now for 11 months and it is almost healed.

This cancer was life threatening and I could have lost my leg or even lost my life if I had not had it removed. It was about 1 month to the day from the time it popped up to the time I had surgery.

The wound was about the size of a baseball and very deep. It has healed like a servere burn from the bottom up and the scar is now a bit bigger than the size of a golf ball.

I had another Moh's surgery a week before Christmas that only required 1 surgery so it healed in about 4 weeks. I had 4 more pop up and the surgeon was able to get all the cancers with the biopsy.

I found out my vitamin D level was very low and started taking extra vitamin D in November since it is being studied for MS and skin cancer.

My March visit with my surgeon and dermatologist shows that I am now cancer free. The sun damage growths that were removed were all benign. I now have to have a complete body check for growths every 4 months.

I'm going to post one picture of my scar because the other pictures are just too gross.

It's been one hel of a year for me.

Thank you for sharing the story of your ordeal...I'd love to print it out and share it with a couple of my "let's lay out and get tan" friends/relatives. (They do say "lay out", by the way)

I'm so glad to hear those words "cancer free". But what a trip! :hug:

Wow, Becky, you've had a rough year...glad to hear you're cancer-free...:hug:

Becky,

Thanks for sharing your story. I'm sorry for all you've been through but I'm so glad you're healing now. I second your thoughts on laying out in the sun. God bless you and I hope this is the last of it so you'll be clear on all your checkups from now on. And I didn't know about the vit D and cancer. I take 2,000iu per day now along with my calcium. :hug:

First, praise the Lord, Becky! No cancer is the only good one. Thank you for putting this up, it took courage to tell this story and it will hopefully remind everyone of the risks involved in excess sun exposure.

Let's hope your ordeal is now totally concluded so that you can be free to get on with living your life. :)

Hugs and prayers for you Becky! :hug:

Becky, thank you for educating as many as possible. Skin cancer scares me - pale and Irish and red-headed - I fear it's just round the corner for me. My cousin and our aunt had it. I never got a tan but some burns growing up.

My son was so pale, that as a year old child, the pediatrician tested him for leukemia on her own without telling and alarming me. It was negative, at 18 he is still pale. One of my black students told me I was the whitest white lady he's ever seen. We are pale.

What a life reaffirming post, Becky. I was so concerned that it would not have a happy ending. Your doctors must have been very good as well.

A new chapter starts for you. One that should begin with the insurance paying for a car!:):hug:

Thanks Becky for sharing your courgeous story with us and God bless you.:hug:

Love,

I am so glad you are cancer free...what a journey.:hug: I hope everything
is great for you from here on in.(Now if God can stop pitching baseball
size hail at you; things will be okay)

Hugs to you..thank you for sharing your story.:hug: