For
the very first time since my return last week, I find myself yearning to be
back in Panama. Why, you might ask. For the very simple reason that my dermatologist
would then be thousands of miles away. Back in December I was diagnosed with
two more sites, right ear and top of head, that required Mohs surgery to remove
skin cancer. I believe this would be the seventh time I’ve had the procedure,
so big deal. I was scheduled for two separate sessions, separated by a couple
weeks. Feeling kind of froggy yesterday when I got into the surgical room, I
asked if they could do both sites that day. I think it was the right decision
as it shortened the recovery time from a month to two weeks.
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| My New Look |
I’d
sailed through the former procedures with hardly any pain. That was about to
change. I’m guessing it was due to the location, turns out there’s a lot of nerve
endings on the top of the head, who knew? I’m usually pretty good with pain but
yesterday provided an acid test. Part of the procedure involves using a cauterizing
iron to stop bleeding. Every time they went to use it for the site on my scalp,
I could feel it and it kept getting worse. A nurse finally noticed my winces
and asked me in a surprising tone if I was feeling anything. That led to more
numbing medication shots which also kind of hurt. I
had the same doctor as I had for the last four iterations so I had a lot of
confidence in him. He was assisted by a resident in training who was also very
good. It was interesting because I got to listen as they discussed what was
happening. Usually, I’m just laying there while the skin gets pulled, prodded,
cut and stitched. Mohs surgery involves cutting out, mapping the cancer
detected, and then checking the fringe of the cut to see if they got it all.
For the last three times I was lucky enough to get everything on the first cut.
That changed yesterday. The ear required two cuts and the scalp (the one that
really hurt) took four cuts. This thing had been growing for a while apparently.
Yikes! The whole thing took about four hours as there is a lot of waiting as
the latest extraction is tested.
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| Earlier in the Day During one of the Waiting Periods, Yecch! |
The
stitching up at the end was the “funfest” part of the day. They had to do a
skin graft on the one inside the ear, taking skin form in front of the ear. While
I couldn’t see anything, it led to some very interesting sound effects. Before
they closed everything up the nurse asked if I wanted to see pictures of the
excavations they had created. I made the mistake in prior sessions of saying
yes to that question. Some things are best left unseen, it cuts down on
subsequent nightmares. Then we got to the pesky top of the head site. That was
a very big hole and the surgeon warned me I would feel a lot of pulling (I guess
this qualifies as an unofficial facelift). Those damnable nerve ends came into
play again which led to additional numbing shots. Fun. The nurse asked me if I
had ever been a redhead. She responded to my confused look by saying red heads
tend to metabolize the numbing medication faster. I guess I’m a latent red
head. I started cursing my younger self
for not wearing sun block years ago when the Army sent me to all those sunny
places.
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| FBR and Wingman |
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| FBR's Team |
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| Hanging with her Best Bud |
My
Favorite Panamanian picked me up and marveled at the extensive bandages I
sported. I have to keep them dry and in place for a week, so that’ll be fun. They
had to “Friar Tuck” the top of my head, shaving a large circle around the top,
to get the bandage to stick so I’ll have a very punk rock kind of look when the
bandages come off (Wingman will approve). It’s not as if I’ve majored in
attractive hair styles during my adult life (Thank you Army once again). I was
home less than fifteen minutes when I banged the top of my head reaching for
something in the Man Cave. The numbing medication had definitely worn off at
that point. I just passed it of as another of my frequent accidents until my Favorite
Panamanian gave me a panicked look, claiming blood was seeping from the bandage.
I assured her the new injury was to the side of the surgery site; she shook her
head in disbelief at my ineptitude.The
final indignity was trying to fall asleep last night. I was understandably
tired but I had to figure out a position for my head on the pillow that wouldn’t
mess with the surgery sites. Easier said then done, especially for that cursed
scalp site. Every time I though I had it set, I could feel the tug on those top
of the head stiches. I eventually decamped for the guest room to continue my
adjustments since I didn’t want to mess with my Favorite Panamanian’s sleep. I
finally found the right arrangement around 3am. A long day. Kids, use sun block.
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| Bounce House Time |
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| The Neighborhood Gang |
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| She had a Long Day Also |
I
received the accompanying pictures from the FBR chronicling her weekend adventures.
She’s very excited about her approaching baseball season and, as always,
hanging out with her friends. She’s growing up so fast. My Favorite Panamanian and
I are trying to figure out a way to schedule a trip to New Jersey in the next
couple weeks. That’ll be the best possible medicine I could get for this aching
head. I’ve restarted my A-Z watch, picking up where I left off in December. I’ve
also acquired a stack of new movies (Amazon gift cards don’tcha know) that’ll
be inserted into the lineup as well. Two fell yesterday, both keepers. The
Heiress, a classic gifted by my daughter, amazing movie, Olivia de Havilland,
playing against type as a spinster; and The Hunt, about as different a movie as
could be but still so sneakily funny, Betty Gilpin stars as one of my favorite
movie characters of all time.
RECURRING CHARACTERS:
ABFA – Amazing Best Family
Athlete - my daughter
in law; BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – granddaughter
#3; BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel -
second granddaughter; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue
about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; CRC - Connecticut
Riverboat Captain – another close friend from high school, renowned sailor
of the big river; Curbside Girls – close
friends of my daughter acquired during him her single days in Brooklyn; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which
grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of
course); FBR - First Blog Reader -
first granddaughter; First Friday –
celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Great Aunt - my elder sister; Keene
Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene,
NH; Kindergarten Friend – friend
since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife –
her US sisters, my wife is the 3rd Musquetera (musketeer); Namesake Nephew –
son of Great Aunt and Soxfather named after me; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia
member; PanaGals – female relatives
/friends of my wife from Panama; Panamanian/Latin
Mafia – inevitable group of Latino friends my wife accumulates wherever we
have lived & their spouses; PCR - Pittsburgh College Roommate – high school friend, also a “Minor
Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; PCR+1 - Pittsburgh College Roommate’s wife; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; Seis Amigos
- two couples from our condo complex and my wife and I; Soxfather – my brother in law; Tia Loca – wife’s younger
sister; Wingman
– my son in law; Wingmom –
Wingman’s mom, of course
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