Kyras

So, who took your photo? It sounds like yours was done right. I think the guy who did mine overdid it.

MsPerky

Well, they took photos but I didn't get one. At least not yet. I tried my own but it came out blurry. I can certainly take another one since it will look like that for a long time. I'll get the +1 to do it.

MsPerky

Oh, and I read that the wound area is 2 to 5 times the size of the bump, to make certain there are clear margins. Yours seems to have been on the higher end.

Conedodger

My spot on my cheek was the size of my pinkie nail. The scar is 2+ inches long, and a year+ later, I still have a slight hollow spot on my cheek.

MsPerky

Looks like your surgery was similar to Grant's. I'm going to wait until Tues to do any serious walking because the instructions are not to do any major exercise for a week or so. A little tired of being a couch potato.

fltsfshr

I've finally stopped looking like a zombie. It too several days for the bleeding would stop It would bleed and run down my cheek. I get the external stitches out on Monday and the plastic surgeon will do an evaluation if anything else is necessary to keep my handsome smiling face.


fltsfshr

MsPerky

Yes, I would think the face would present a bleeding problem. So many blood vessels. Fortunately, I had none at all. Jim (Val's husband) had the surgery on two spots on either side of his head near the ears. He had lots of problems with bleeding and healing. Doing OK now, but it was an ordeal (on top of his other issues).

S1997

Good luck with the healing. It's amazing how our facial tissue can recover without excessive scarring. My face had to be sewn back together some years ago...

MsPerky

^ Your surgeon did a good job!

MsPerky

"I don't know the details yet. I'm sure at some point he will send an email if he is able. The area was at the base of the brain stem so maybe not. He had to make a difficult choice between surgery and not. The chances of his having another bleed would have increased 10% a year, so he chose the surgery. I believe the surgery itself carried a 90% success rate. But he has a long recovery period ahead (6-12 months of rehab), at least according to his email he sent before the surgery. He was having issues with balance/stability and nausea. Maybe he will beat that estimate. I hope so. "

I posted the above in LB's surgery thread, regarding my relative who had brain surgery last week. He had been nauseous and unstable after a brain bleed (stroke) in January. I received an email from his wife today. He is still nauseous and has a headache. As it turns out, when the surgeon got in there, he took a biopsy of the malformation in the brain and found it was melanoma, which can cause similar symptoms. So I moved it to this thread. He also has a couple of lesions in other parts of the body which need to be tested. This is very bad news. The wife was trying to be optimistic in her email, but it has to be a big blow. My research was not encouraging.

The bottom line is see your dermatologist regularly!! This has certainly inspired me to go more regularly. Even melanoma, if caught early, can be treated successfully. The key is early.