Skin Cancer - Lentigo Maligna - this could happen to you..

[IFish4Tuna]

Or your kids....

Short story - Make sure you are applying your sunscreen!!! And make regular appointments w/ a dermatologist to be checked over.

Long story - read on.

So this is one of those, I thought it only happened to other people stories.. or rather, maybe when I was in my 70s.

Age 46. Fair skinned Irish SOB - diagnosis positive.

While at my regularly scheduled twice yearly dermatologist appt to have him do a once over, and customary spraying my balding head with liquid nitrogen for those little dry patches, he came across a discolloration about 1/2 the size of dime on the side tip of my nose (see pic). This was slightly under the skin. Took a biopsy that day, called me a few days later with results. Yup it was this lentigo thing...

So I thought ok, just cut it off during an office visit like had been done for some of the abnormaly shaped moles on my shoulders or back over the past few years. No biggie...

Wrong! He sent me to a plastic surgeon for consult, and as well as next wednesday off to ear nose throat dr.

Bottom line, within the next 2 weeks or so after the remaining consultations, they will likely be cutting off nearly 1/2 my nose to account for a margin of error and then rebuilding the nose by taking facial tissue along the laugh line and reconstructing the nose/nostril. Expect to be out of work for over a week with major facial scarring that may fade with time.

Thought I'd share this because I'm certain this is carry over from the days as a kid at without sunscreen. I remember peeling skin off my nose when I was a kid, like it was elmers glue dried on your fingers...

As I said before, I get checked regularly, and this just popped up, so the growth rate is pretty quick.

If you're like me, and middle aged, pass the lesson learned down to your kids...

Here's an article...plenty of others out there also.
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/279839-overview

Possibly some during & after pictures to come.

Ed

[seafox]

wow good luck. You are second person this week that has this on his nose, you are both the same age and doctor said in his case it was probably from when he was a youth too. I only use sunsrceen sparingly but that is now to change. Hope it is not too late as i can relate to your elmers glue story. Funny I was the same with seat belts. You lose someone then you start using them.

[IFish4Tuna]

As they say worth 1000 words...

Hey admin, if you want go ahead and delete the 1st picture. It seems I do not have the privs to modify my own posting. I think the picture is too big...

Here are 2 smaller pictures. The 1st before showing more clearly the area in question. The 2nd is taken tonight 5 days after the surgery. The healing process is incredible. The plastic surgeon did a great job taking from one area filling the holes and making look like only slices in the skin. They also did not need to go as deep, they were careful to try and save the area around the nostril. Lost some of it, but you wouldn't know it from looking at the picture.

Suprisingly I had no pain after the surgery. Not even a tylenol. Taking lots of antibiotics to keep the germs away...and vitamin c.

Bought 2 new tubes of sun screen today to keep in the car.

Ed