Minor Medical Update from LGA777

Greetings. As some of you who have met me know I have had (for sometime) a probably dime size mark on my forehead above my right eye. As recently as two years ago my primary care MD told me it was nothing and just ignore it as did other MD's I have seen since that time. It started bothering me a few months ago and blead a few times so I finally took some friends and co-workers advice and saw a demertoligist. Despite multiple MD's saying ignore it, it ended up being basal cell skin cancer, probably the least dangourous type of cancer out there if their is such a thing. He recomended an amazing surgeon and yesterday I underwent about 6 hours of MOHS skin surgery.

The good news is as expected and as normally the case with basal cell skin cancer it had NOT spread to any organs and it now 100 pct removed. The bad news is my years of ignoring it ment it had spread underneath my skin well, well beyond the dime size exterior scar. So much in fact instead of getting the expected 4-5 stiches where the scar used to be I for now look a little like Frankenstein! I have 25 stitches that start at my hairline and go all the way down to my right eyebrow. That's how much cancer was in my face. Thanks to modern medicine both the surgery and my first ever experiance with getting stitches was competely painless, although last night was pretty painful, but now I feel pretty good and plan on returning to work tommorow.

If you have read this far I did not make this post for sympothy or lets all feel sorry for Ron. I don't want, need, or even deserve either. Instead it was a friendly wake-up call to friends, colleuges, and all on this board not to PROCRASTINATE like I did when it comes to your health. My surgeon said not to blaim my primary care or other Doctors I saw as she has patients every week with similiar stories. Many of you are out in the sun a lot. the pool, the beach, sports, and yes aviation photography. Those who know me personnally will agree I am lighter skined than most of you but it doesn't matter, If you have anything on your skin that doesn't belong their and has not gone away get it checked by a dermotoligist. There are different kinds of skin cancer and some are much more dangerous than what I had.

Here is a good link that shows how SERIOUS this can get !

http://www.plasticsurgery.org/patients_ ... Cancer.cfm

And here is the impressive bio on my surgeon.

http://www.summerskin.com/faculty_bio.a ... ar_arielle

Thanks for reading and please consider my advice !

LGA777

Well Ron I'm glad to hear everything went well but I'm sorry how involed it got for you. I hope you have a fast recovery.

Hope you have a very speedy recovery Ron!

Speedy recovery and glad you're ok Ron. Let this be a lesson for all of us.

Ron, I'm real glad to hear you are in good recovery. And I'm glad you made this post.
If you don't mind, I'd like to reinforce what you've said.

Last fall, I gave a lecture at a local college regarding UV light, pilots and how it can affect their eyes.

While I make it a point in my office to recommend 100% UV protected sunglasses, I also recommend sunblock and a hat when outside.

Our friends in Australia have a clever and to the point health awareness campaign, SLIP SLAP SLOP:

"slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen, and slap on a hat"
Throw on a pair of decent UV protected sunglasses and you've paid for the CHEAPEST insurance you will ever invest in.

Sorry to hear, but glad you're ok, Ron. A good heads up for people, too.