Skin cancer

I've had a rough time of it. I had a lump on the surface of my inner eyelid that specsavers examined through magnification  and said it was a basal cell carcinoma. My doc sent me to hospital eye dept and a specialist opthalmologist dismissed it as nothing and gave me some sterilised needles to burst it with as I had been doing. She did not examine it through magnification. After a few months when it was still there and growing I asked for it to be looked at again. This time at another hospital. It was diagnosed immediately as a bcc. 

It was removed soon after. However it soon became apparent my tear ducts had been affected by the surgery. My eye dribbled 24/7. An op to restore the ducts with a rubber stent failed. Another op to put in a pyrex tube also failed when the tube migrated. This was rectified and a second tube was put in. So far it is working. 

Since then two other actinic keratosis bumps on my nose have been removed and I've found another on my calf that's being treated with chemo cream.

I've become quite anxious and check myself for anything that looks like another lesion. 

I have new pain in my leg and hip and worry I have bone cancer. 

It's hard going. 

  • Hi DarloLass, 

    Poor you, you certainly have had a rough time of it recently and I can imagine it must be hard going. You've certainly been through a lot and the process of being diagnosed with Basal Cell Carcinoma  in the first place took a while and I am sorry it was initially dismissed as nothing. It's good though that once you had the diagnosis it was removed quickly but even that was not plain sailing for you and you experienced these complications. 

    Those new lumps you found on your nose and calf must have also precipitated feelings of anxiety and I hope that the chemotherapy cream is helping with the bump on your calf. It's hard after what you have been through not to see every new ache and pain as a potential cancer but it is important to bear in mind that the pain you are experiencing in your leg and hip may well be totally unrelated and not be linked to cancer in any way. For your peace of mind, it would be worth talking to your doctor about this pain in your leg and hip and getting checked just for reassurance and also to get some advice on how to manage or treat this pain. As it's something new, it's worth bringing it up with the doctors so that you can get advice and feel better soon.   

    I hope that things improve for you. When you talk to the doctor about the pain in your leg and hip, it might be worth also mentioning this overwhelming anxiety you have been feeling, the fear you keep having that you will find another lesion. These feeling are completely understandable given that you have been through this experience of having one thing after another but it must be quite triggering in terms of anxiety and perhaps the doctor can also give you some advice on how to manage this anxiety and deal with this fear that you will find other lesions. 

    I hope that you will hear from other members of our community who have been through something similar before and had similar fears when going through skin cancer

    Best wishes, 

    Lucie, Cancer Chat Moderator