Keratoacanthoma part 2

I finally got it removed and am stitched quite well.

Once I got in to see the Plastic Surgeon, he took one look and said "This has to come off now"   Yeah no kidding??   By then, the only way I can describe it is a medium sized mushroom cap, only disgusting looking. I kept it covered  so my skin was already red and raw from the adhesive for 3 months.

I did however get creative with ways to wear a bandage :)

Here is the end result of the surgery:

I had no idea a medium mushroom cap would create such a spectacle !  When I left after surgery I was taped from one shoulder to the other and half way up my neck !  Sure makes looking  to the side difficult, I still am unable to look up for eye drops or mouthwash. I dreaded removing the outer bandage the next day- but so wanted a shower ! He said the skin will eventually stretch to accommodate.

He also mentioned having to pull skin down from my neck and up from my chest to close the incision. I believe it , especially when I try to move. A few of the sutures were removed this week, but the anchor sutures have to wait another 2 more. It has made putting on a shirt a new experience, as well as a shirt has to button down the front so the scar isn't irritated. I honestly don't want others to have to see it, but oh well.

I'm dreaming of the day when I can again sleep on my side (the back side gets sore) and not itch !

Moral to the story: If you have a whitehead appear mysteriously overnight- GET it checked out !!

Keratoacanthoma

 What a long word to try an pronounce !
This is my latest diagnosis from the Dermatologist.  A few months ago I had a small "whitehead" appear on the left side of my chest.  Being just above where you'd place your hand to say the Pledge of Allegiance and very visible, I did what anyone would do. I popped it.  It bled, and bled, and bled.
So it was covered with a band-aid for another few weeks.  Yes, I did take it off and change it nightly.


While away for the Christmas holiday, as I was changing the bandage I looked in horror ! This small unnoticeable  whitehead (not to me) was now the size of a nickel and it looked infected. !  With my medical history and not healing well this past year I began to worry- plus it itches like hell . I kept it covered and out of the sun, and quickly made an appointment to see the Dermatologist when I got home.

 My worst fears were realized. It was not infected, and she proceeded to rattle off that name. She removed the top for biopsy and referred me to a Plastic Surgeon. Her reasoning being that if it isn't removed completely it will get larger and spread. Oh great ! Just what I always wanted on my chest ...
Plus with my system immuno -compromised it's best to err on the side of caution.

My appointment with her was 2 weeks ago and it is now the size of a quarter and distinctly raised above the skin. Now to you a nickel or quarter may not be large.  Put one on your chest and look in a mirror.  See what I mean?

From what I've read this normally doesn't affect the chest area, so I'm curious if all my x-rays over the years for my lung transplants may have increased the possibilities in me.

My first appointment with the Plastic Surgeon isn't until the middle of February, so I sit and wait and wonder how large it will be by then.. Oh, and how in the heck will it be removed.

Caustic or Costic???

Like my new word?

Caustic is what this medicine is doing to my lip.

Costic is when I saw the price I paid vs the retail price.

I will never understand why pharmaceutical companies can't make small tubes of medication as opposed to larger ones that end up being thrown away. I mean geez, I have a 2mm spot on my lip that I use a Q-tip to put this medication on for 2 weeks tops. And the smallest they make is 30gram tubes. Do they expect us to use it all over or what?

Well, this is the second day and my lip looks pinkish and severely chapped. I am having withdrawal symptoms from Chapstick.  You can't use it while using this medication. I can us Vaseline -but my tubes are so lonely there on the shelf and Vaseline doesn't last as long either.

I've had an additional situation and not sure if it's separate or aggravated by this medicine.

My heart has been racing like the wind since yesterday. Got it calmed down yesterday evening only to have it start again this morning. I'm sure all will calm down eventually.
I got alot of sleep last night and feel much better.

So, to take my walks I need a bandaid on the area (feat of the impossible) and a hat. I tried a hat yesterday and for the life of me couldn't figure out how it will protect my lip with the Florida sun. No matter how I situated the hat it just did not shadow my face. It was a big straw hat -totally me- with rhinestone dolphins and jewels all over the brim.. My beach day hat. I opted for my baseball cap and walked with my head down.. I'm sure the neighbors thought I was insane or something.

Today we have to wait for it to cool off. Little DB would never make it in this 90 degree heat. I usually carry him most of the way at night-but he does much better if we wait.

We'll see how this crusty lip looks in the morning!

Upheavals and Understanding

    While it's been awhile since my last post, I have thought about finding a moment to sit and blog.
Update:
 I'm still off Insulin. Will let my doctor know at my appointment this month.
 I got the INR machine to test my own anti-coagulant level. It's fast and simple, just like checking my blood sugar. But it does save driving to Venice to the Doctor to have it done.

My Dermatologist did a biopsy on the lower left side of my lip last week. I've had chronic chapped lips for eons and joke that Chapstick and Carmex should send me a profit sharing check. Well, after a severe bout of stomach virus with a high temperature, my lip looked terrible. Plus it happened at appointment time. She didn't like it nor did she like the fact that it hasn't healed in 2 years.
  I am not ashamed to say, I almost passed out in her office. My stomach still had fully recovered and I was queasy anyway. You know it takes us transplants much longer to get back to "normal" than the healthy. So I waited a week and got the results yesterday.

It came back as pre-cancerous and she called in a cream prescription. After talking to her nurse and my pharmacist I am dreading using this cream.  She said it would make the area look like road rash. NOT a good visual in my eyes. I was joking with the pharmacist and he stated that was a nice way to describe what it'll do. His closing comment mentioned raw meat... Great ! just what I want others to see  when they look at me.
I asked him how I am supposed to eat with my lip like that?  "Smoothies" I suggest Smoothie King on 41.
Now we were joking through all this-but I know he was serious.

This brings up alot of questions living in Florida. Can I still take my morning and afternoon walks? Sure - put a large bandaid over the affected area. Have you honestly tried to put much less keep a bandaid  on the lower left corner of YOUR lip?The dermatologist put one there after the biopsy and it stayed all of 30 minutes. It was worse than trying to drink water after leaving the dentist! I was also told I need to wear a hat on my walks. Hmmmm.

I asked why can't it be cut out and forget it? The pharmacist replied "But you don't want this scar on your lip".  "Well, it would add to my Pirate persona -plus just think I'd be a hit at the Medieval Fair and not need make up~!"  He thinks I'm insane anyway, so we both got a good laugh.

I just had another thought . How do I apply it? I can't use my finger-it'll get road rash too right?

Oh the joys of life are fruitful and many!

This I too will conquer!