Warning the pictures below are graphic and really ugly. So they are not for those with a queasy stomach. Don't scroll down unless you really want to see them.
A few weeks ago, I had a growth removed from my right bottom eye lid. It was a simple procedure and the doctor said there was nothing to worry about. He was going to send it out to pathology anyway just to be safe. So it was uncomfortable but I thought that was it.
Then he called me the following Wednesday. Turns out is was not just a growth but Basal Cell Carcinoma. The words made me ill. I am not sure why. Anyway, he tried to reassure me that this was the most treatable form of skin cancer. Just remove the tumor and nothing more to worry about.
So he scheduled an appointment for me with a plastic surgeon. Since it is on my face, he wanted to make sure that it was repaired well. The plastic surgeon said that I was really lucky. This is the best skin cancer to treat and it was in a really good spot. By the time I was healed, you should not be able to tell where they removed. I may just lose some bottom eyelashes.
I was quite calm when I did the research. The Internet is the most amazing tool. Then they told what the procedure was and I was not so calm. Basically the first part of the procedure is done in a dermatologist office while you are AWAKE! They cut thin strips away from the tumor and review it under a specific type of microscope until they don't find anymore cancer. Then he bandages it and sends me to the hospital for the plastic surgeon to put me back together. The surgeon clips the tendon on the side of my eye lid and basically sews it back together. However, in order for it to heal, he sews it mostly closed. This keeps the eye lid for pulling back apart.
I expected it to hurt. Really I did. But not like this. So I am feeling like a real wimp today but it hurts and I can't see. My left eye wants to focus like my right. So they are both blurry. It really sucks. I decided that I should share my misery. So the pics are below.
