Richard the Red Nosed Rider Reprised

I might not be on the bike for a while…

Today I had the first step of the ‘repair’ for the hole in my nose from the Mohs to remove the basal carcinoma there. There were several options, including just leaving everything alone. Based on what a wonderful day today was, I kind of wish I’d opted for that.

However the dermatologist recommended something called a pedicle flap. He assured me it was what he would choose for himself. One reputable web site called it “The Gold Standard” for nose repairs. I was reluctant but ultimately decided that the dermatologist knew way more than I did, so I decided to follow his advice.

I’m not going to describe the procedure in great detail. Basically they cut skin from the forehead, leave it attached so that there is a blood supply to aid in healing, then attach the ‘flap’ to the Mohs hole in the nose. Here’s what it looks like when finished:

There is lots of sticking with needles and cutting and cauterizing and stitching. It takes almost 1 1/2 hours. They gave me a squeeze ball to try to deal with the worst pain (from the needles for the anesthetic; those things sting). I squeezed so much I might get carpal tunnel.

Finally I got to go home. They said to call if there were any complications, like bleeding. They even gave me the doctor’s cell phone number, which should have been a tip off that I might need it.

Sure enough, an hour after I got home I thought my nose was running. But it was blood flowing down onto my upper lip. and soaking through the gauze. I called the office, then went back at 1:30 this afternoon, both afraid and highly irritated. More needles, remove stitches, peal back the flap, do more repair work, more cauterization, replace flap. Another hour of squeezing…

I guess I didn’t study this thing enough. I think I probably made the right decision, but all this flapping and un-flapping means my face is going to be a mess for a month or more. I didn’t expect such a long and invasive recovery.

My timetable for getting back on the bike is uncertain. I don’t see how I can wear a helmet or cycling glasses, so when I do have the okay to exercise it might have to be indoors. I am certain to lose some of the limited fitness I have, and maybe gain a few pounds too.

So on this cheery outlook, 2022 draws to a close. A year featuring health problems for two people I care a lot about. And for me: First dental surgery for an extraction/bone graft/implant, then Mohs surgery, and now this double dip into the flap trap. Happy New Year everyone!