Back in August 2000, something appeared on my left arm. Since Stoker had a carcinoma removed from her forearm a few years ago, I showed it to my regular physician. It looked like a hematoma but he didn’t know for certain, so he referred me to a dermatologist.
The soonest appointment I could get was late November, and by that time the blemish was completely gone. But I had a photo on my phone and decided to see him anyway.
I looked up the dermatologist on line, and found out he was very experienced. In fact, you might say he was old, but his skin looked quite young, which indicates he knows his business.
The nurse had me strip down to my shorts and then the doctor came in. He looked at my photo and then gave a quick glance at my front and back sides, and pronounced there was nothing worrying. He also saw my cycling tan lines and asked if I spent a lot of time outdoors. I said I did but always used sunscreen.
The receptionist suggested a follow up one year later, and since dermatologist appointments are so hard to come by, I set one up for November 2021. Same thing: strip down, get a quick once over with no worrisome findings. The exam was so cursory I wondered if he actually would notice any problems.
Last month I had another annual appointment and I expected another negative result. But he saw something on the tip of my nose. I knew there was a very tiny red spot there which had appeared recently, but I couldn’t imagine it was a big deal. He thought otherwise. He took tissue for a biopsy. The numbing needle stung a bit but otherwise it was painless. He put in some stitches and told me I’d get results in a week or less.
It turned out to be a basal cell carcinoma. I had the Mohs surgery to remove it this past Wednesday. Two numbing needles, the second much more painful than the first. Then some scraping and pressure, although the numbing injections did their job and I didn’t have any pain until later, and not much even then. I smelled something burning, and when I asked the nurse what it was she said “It’s you” Apparently the bleeding was significant enough that cauterization was necessary.
The nose is not a good place for this kind of thing because there isn’t much extra skin there, so the wound can be difficult to repair. He recommended something called a pedicle flap. There are other options, including just letting the area heal as it is, but the scar tissue might shrink and cause some nasal blockage.
I looked up pedicle flap on the internet, and while is is described as the ‘gold standard’ for repairing the nose it also seems a little invasive and uncomfortable. The procedure is scheduled for December 28 and I think he said another 3 weeks of healing, followed by what I assume is ‘unflapping’, with more healing in store. I hope I’m done with the whole thing by the end of January.
For now I need to keep putting Vaseline on the area and keep it bandaged out of doors. This makes cycling and wearing cycling glasses a little difficult and uncomfortable. Cycling in cold weather makes my nose run, but I have to be careful about blowing and wiping. And getting a cold or Covid now would be quite inconvenient.
The whole thing is irritating and unpleasant, but I try to remind myself that it is necessary and for the best. And also that the discomfort pales in comparison to oral surgery for dental implants, which I have a lot of experience with. So bring on the schnoz jokes and ask if I was in a bar fight. Put me at the head of the peloton and let my nose show the way in the fog, which is so dense this morning that the club ride was cancelled.
Rich Freggiaro Cycling Blog 