Hi Lou,

How are things with you?

I had my private-pay appointment with the Mohs specialist today. He took one look and confirmed the ‘main’ lesion, the one I went to my GP about, is bcc. That’s the one at the top of my eyelid, under my eyebrow. 

He’s booked me to have it treated via Mohs surgery on the NHS, at the hospital where he does his NHS work.

During that surgery they’ll also take biopsies of the two other spots I had concerns about, though he doesn’t think those are cancer. (yay!) PLUS a small one on my nose which he thinks is also bcc. (Gulp!) But if it needs taking off they’ll do it via Mohs too.

The waiting list will supposedly be about six months but he says that’s safe. (That’s what it would be if I got it done at my local hospital too - and I don’t even know if they’d agree to do it there.)

I really hope you get your appointment soon. 

Hi Dawn, thank you for the update. I’m pleased to hear there was a sprinkling of good news in there about the other two areas of concern unlikely to be cancerous. What a relief! It sounds like speaking to the surgeon was a positive experience and you now have a plan of what’s to come. 

My next appointment is with the Mohs surgeon to talk about the operation but unfortunately it’s not for another 5  weeks. I’m trying to stay positive for the sake of my family but to be honest I’m not dealing with it very well. 

Would be great if you could stay in touch and let me know how you’re getting on.

Hi Lou, just wanted to check in and see how you’re doing.
I’m starting to feel a bit of fear in the pit of my stomach now that I’m getting closer to my appointment on Friday. I always go in with a written list of questions but I find the consult often goes in some unexpected direction so you get side tracked. You look at the list but you’re so aware you’re taking up their time so you kind of rush through and realise later that important things haven’t been addressed. That’s my fear at this point - that I won’t get all the information. Some people aren’t worried that way, they’re happy to just put themselves in the NHS’ care and go with the flow. Better for mental health probably!

Hi Dawntreader totally understandable to be feeling fearful the closer the day gets, I feel exactly the same. I think it’s a great idea to go in with a list of questions and have them in your hand when you enter the room. You already know how easy it is to get sidetracked when the consult is talking to you so I think you’ll be fine as you’ll be prepared for that scenario. Let us know how you get on. 
One week to go before my op and my emotions are all over the place. It’s hard to prepare yourself for something when you don’t know what the outcome will be. It’s not a case of well, at least it will be over this time next week. I’m struggling to come to terms with looking different. I know this is going to have a huge impact on my mental health and I’m scared where that will take me.

I hope your appointment goes well on the 31st. I’ll be thinking of you. 

Thank you for the encouragement and support Lou. I’ll do the best I can Friday. I’ll let you know what they say and what my next step is.

I’m not surprised you’re feeling wobbly, with surgery a week away. But people posting here about bcc seem to be ok with their surgical outcome - which is encouraging. Have you come across a less successful story that’s preying on your mind?

Hi Dawntreader I think it’s the thought of having a skin graft at the end of my nose and how it’s going to look afterwards. Also the new area of concern on the side of my nose/nostril is getting worse. I haven’t had a diagnosis on that yet but I’m pretty sure it’s bcc, again there is no excess skin to cover the area should it need to be cut out. So many scenarios going round my head right now.

Best of luck on Friday. 

Thanks Lou, the same to you. When you say you’ve not had a diagnosis for the place on the side, have they ‘looked’ at it yet?

Hi Dawntreader the dermatologist said he would look at it when I have surgery on Monday. I’m just exhausted by it all. Some days  it feels manageable and other days it’s a struggle to get my head round it all. 
ill be thinking of you tomorrow, I hope you get all the answers to your questions. 

Thanks Lou, try to enjoy this weekend if you can. I’ll post after my appointment x

Hi Lou, I hope you’re having a good day today. I’m just going home on the train after my appointment. The good news is this consultant seemed sure that two of the bumps (cheek and eyebrow) are just moles. So that’s a relief. The eyelid and side of the nose are bcc which will be removed with Mohs.
The bad news is the waiting list for Mohs surgery is 6 to 8 months - and they have to biopsy first, and the first available biopsy date is 09/12. I wonder how long i will have to wait for the biopsy results before the surgery waiting list clock can start ticking? 

Hi Lou, I hope you’re having a good day today. I’m just going home on the train after my appointment. The good news is this consultant seemed sure that two of the bumps (cheek and eyebrow) are just moles. So that’s a relief. The eyelid and side of the nose are bcc which will be removed with Mohs.
The bad news is the waiting list for Mohs surgery is 6 to 8 months - and they have to biopsy first, and the first available biopsy date is 09/12. I wonder how long i will have to wait for the biopsy results before the surgery waiting list clock can start ticking? 

Hi Dawntreader  What great news to hear that the bumps on your cheek and eyebrow are just moles. It must be such a relief for you. Thankfully a piece of positive news to take away from today’s appointment.

You can get yourself prepared for the next stage now, the biopsy. I’m sorry to hear the wait time for surgery is so long. Perhaps you could call them on the off chance to see if there is availability due to a cancellation and get the biopsy done sooner? It might be worth a try, you never know..  

Hi Dawntreader  What great news to hear that the bumps on your cheek and eyebrow are just moles. It must be such a relief for you. Thankfully a piece of positive news to take away from today’s appointment.

You can get yourself prepared for the next stage now, the biopsy. I’m sorry to hear the wait time for surgery is so long. Perhaps you could call them on the off chance to see if there is availability due to a cancellation and get the biopsy done sooner? It might be worth a try, you never know..  

Thanks Lou, yeah definitely a relief - although still two bccs, it’s better than 4. I did ask the secretary if I could call for a cancellation; she claimed they automatically put people on a cancellation list but she also said I could call, so I think I will. Nothing ventured…

Do you have anything nice planned for this weekend I hope?

 Dawntreader just been out for lunch with my family. It was lovely but can’t get away from what’s just round the corner. It’s all feeling rather surreal the closer it gets. I’ll be in touch next week to let you know how it’s all going. 
I have my fingers crossed for you with making an appointment sooner rather than later. 

Hi Lou, I’m glad you were able to spend time with your family yesterday. I’ll be thinking of you tomorrow, wishing you well and keeping my fingers crossed. I hope the main surgery is 100% successful, and the new tiny nose area turns out to be nothing. Good luck xx

Hi Dawntreader sorry it’s taken me so long to get back to you. I’m still trying to get my head round it all. I had a skin graft on Monday. I have an appointment next Monday where they take off the bandages to see if the graft has taken. Goodness knows what happens if it doesn’t. I’m trying not to think about that scenario. They also took a biopsy of the other area. I find out the results in 2 weeks. I would love to be resting now, knowing that it’s all done but I feel far from peaceful right now. 
Hope you’re keeping well. 

Hi Lou, very glad to hear from you, I assumed you didn’t have the head space to post but I’ve been thinking of you a lot. It’s brilliant that there haven’t been any problems so far. Double fingers crossed for Monday that the graft looks good, and for the biopsy results to come back benign.

Can I ask you, what is your biopsy wound like and what care does it require? I’m having a small punch biopsy on my definite bcc, and a scrape biopsy on the tiny ‘query’ bump. I would normally be looking after my toddler granddaughter that day and the following day, so I’ll go over to theirs after the 09.30 biopsy. Just hoping that won’t be a problem with aftercare/bandages etc.

You’ll be absolutely fine with a scrape biopsy. They’re usually quite small and heal up quite quickly. You may need stitches with a punch biopsy so you’ll need to take a bit more care over that one. Definitely some gentle activities with your granddaughter. Sounds like a day of movies and arts and crafts are required. 

Thanks Lou, the information is much appreciated. I’ll plan on a few easy days.

Hi Dawntreader I’ve just got back from my follow up appointment. The bandages are off. I was apprehensive to look at myself in the mirror but I had a lovely nurse with me who was encouraging and happy to answer any questions. Currently it looks like I’ve tripped over and skidded along the floor on my nose. It’s a big crusty red scab which I have to carefully wash and put Vaseline on twice a day. The stitches behind my ear are healing well. Can’t wait to finally wash my hair in a few days time. Also got my biopsy results back for the second area on my nose which were negative. I’m so relieved, don’t think I could have gone through it all again a second time.

Hope you are keeping well, keep in touch and let me know how you’re getting on. 

Hi Lou, I’m so happy to hear your news. What a great result from the biopsy, what a relief! You made me laugh by saying it looked like you’d skidded along the floor on your nose. I truly hope that when the scar has healed and fully ‘cured’ that you’ll be happy with the result.

Feeling a bit down about my bcc as it’s been ‘clean’ for a few months and I was kind of deluding myself that it might heal itself, but last night I noticed it had formed a little scab again. Heigh-ho, only another month til my biopsy appointment! In the meantime your news has put a smile on my face, thanks for sharing what’s been happening, any and all news and details always welcome.

I totally understand, I’ve spent the last 2 years watching my bcc change slightly over time, with the hope it really wasn’t some kind of skin cancer and it just might be something else. It almost became an obsession. I’m really not liking the way it looks right now but I know overtime it will heal and gradually I’ll get used to what ever the new normal will be. You too are on the same pathway, I know you’ve got some time ahead of you to wait, which quite frankly is almost as painful as the operation itself. It’s an anxious time which takes up way too much unwelcome space in our brains. You’ve started the journey, keep going, it will be worth it.