Dealing with past stupidity.... - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

ramonajim · #1 10-05-2010, 09:22 AM

.... Round 5. Or maybe it's Round 6 - or even 7; lost track of how many times I've had spots frozen off my face/shoulders. Spot count is well over 40 (had 26 in one sitting once).

Had four more spots on my forehead biopsied last week. One benign, two actinic keratoses (pre-cancers), one basal cell carcinoma.

Good news on the basal cell is that the margins came back clear. Bad news is that the pathologist opined that it is likely "multi-focal" which seems to mean that clear margins don't necessarily guarantee it's all gone.

Nothing worse than a reformed , right? So - please allow this reformed "I can't be bothered with sun protection" fool a moment:

WEAR SUN BLOCK. WEAR A HAT. FOR GAWD'S SAKE, STAY AWAY FROM THE F'N TANNING BED!

Pre-cancers (and the whole rest of my forehead) will treated with Imiquimod (info here).

Waiting now to get surgeon's opinion on treatment for the basal cell spot (aggressive approach = make another hole in me head, conservative approach = use Imiquimod). As much as I'd like to avoid getting cut up again, my gut reaction is to go ahead and cut and make sure everything basal is gone...... will listen to the surgeon and go from there.

Oh - in case I forgot to mention it earlier: WEAR SUN BLOCK. WEAR A HAT. FOR GAWD'S SAKE, STAY AWAY FROM THE F'N TANNING BED!

Mike D · #2 10-05-2010, 09:37 AM

I feel for ya brother! Thanks to my bog trotting ancestors I get carved up every summer. That's AFTER using sun block, long sleeves, long pants and a wide hat. Part of living out here in TOO-SUN!

BobK · #3 10-05-2010, 10:12 AM

I hear ya Jim. You know I bought a couple of hats and I keep my eyes open for more. Wife has even quit complaining about my "farmer Bob" hat that I wear while mowing the fields. (well, as long as I never where it off the property). On the plus side, I have had several women compliment me on my hat. That reminds me though, I need to make a follow up appointment with my Dr. I guess my face wasn't made for the sun. Of course some would say it is best in the dark!
Sorry to hear they are gonna be working on ya again. Get it done soon, don't want DW to worry too much.

pj67coll · #4 10-05-2010, 10:48 AM

I'm also worried about it. I have a spot on my cheek that's of concern. I'll be going to the doc soon. Of course all my youth was spent in the sun in SA which has one of the highest skin cancer rates in the world. So I'm probably in trouble now. I never set foot outside without a large floppy hat pulled down as low as possible. I know I should be using more sun block too.

- Peter.

WVOtoGO · #5 10-05-2010, 11:00 AM

Not knocking at all what is to be done with the hats and sunscreens for today’s jaunts in the sun.

But, I’ve been told by numerous dermatologists, as well as read a few studies/reports, that the mass majority of what adults are having removed now are the result of what we did (or didn’t do) as pre-teen children.

I guess, in short...
We unknowingly screwed ourselves. But we can (and must) pass this lesson on to our kids.

pj67coll · #6 10-05-2010, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WVOtoGO

Not knocking at all what is to be done with the hats and sunscreens for today’s jaunts in the sun.

But, I’ve been told by numerous dermatologists, as well as read a few studies/reports, that the mass majority of what adults are having removed now are the result of what we did (or didn’t do) as pre-teen children.

I guess, in short...
We unknowingly screwed ourselves. But we can (and must) pass this lesson on to our kids.

Yes I've heard that too. I guess I'm screwed in that case.

- Peter.

ramonajim · #7 10-05-2010, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WVOtoGO

Not knocking at all what is to be done with the hats and sunscreens for today’s jaunts in the sun.

But, I’ve been told by numerous dermatologists, as well as read a few studies/reports, that the mass majority of what adults are having removed now are the result of what we did (or didn’t do) as pre-teen children.

I guess, in short...
We unknowingly screwed ourselves. But we can (and must) pass this lesson on to our kids.

Yep - doc told me the same thing.

But - since I promised Darling Wife I was gonna live to be a hunnert and eleventy, I'm trying to be better about exposure NOW so that I minimize any future damage.

WVOtoGO · #8 10-05-2010, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pj67coll

Yes I've heard that too. I guess I'm screwed in that case.

- Peter.

Join the croud.

5 years as a kid with a backyard pool in San Antonio.
Followed by -
3 years in Hawaii.
Followed by -
3 years in Daytona Beach. FL.
All, intermittently hit with prolonged stays at higher elevations.

I’m paying for it now.

G-Benz · #9 10-05-2010, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ramonajim

.... FOR GAWD'S SAKE, STAY AWAY FROM THE F'N TANNING BED!!...

Oh CRAP!!! All these years, I thought I was African-American!???

Mike D · #10 10-05-2010, 12:38 PM

Show-off!

SwampYankee · #11 10-05-2010, 01:05 PM

Yikes!

Words to live by, Jim. Literally. I wish I heeded more of the warnings when I was younger as well. Unprotected summers on the boat couldn't have been too good for my epidermis.

Best of luck with your continued recovery!

cmac2012 · #12 10-05-2010, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WVOtoGO

Not knocking at all what is to be done with the hats and sunscreens for today’s jaunts in the sun.

But, I’ve been told by numerous dermatologists, as well as read a few studies/reports, that the mass majority of what adults are having removed now are the result of what we did (or didn’t do) as pre-teen children.

I guess, in short...
We unknowingly screwed ourselves. But we can (and must) pass this lesson on to our kids.

Crap. I grew up in NM and used to get seriously sunburned as a youth (Scando-Irish-Scottish, i.e. whiiiiiite). I had second degree burns a few times with fluid filled blisters everywhere.

I burned one off my face a year ago. Used a gun finish nail (small head) in a vice grips heated red hot with a blowtorch. Not the smartest way to go I'll admit but seems to have made it go away.

dynalow · #13 10-05-2010, 05:37 PM

I had a malignant melanoma (mole) removed from my left calf back in 1989. At the time I remember the surgeon telling me it was "level 4" or something like that. He told me that if the cells had hit my blood stream, I was already a goner. But he cut it out right then and there in his office. Big chunk about the size of a silver dolllar and about a half inch thick.

The rest as they say is history.

I seriously dodged a bullet according to this.

http://www.foundhealth.com/melanoma/melanoma-and-the-breslow-scale

The Breslow scale (also sometimes referred to as the “primary tumor thickness scale”) measures the thickness of the tumor in terms of millimeters. Your doctor or pathology report may say something like “the tumor has a Breslow thickness of 0.5mm. This simply means that the depth of the tumor, as measured from highest to deepest part, is 0.5mm. Breslow thicknesses are often grouped into categories. This is because studies have shown that the thickness of the tumor is highly predictive of the risk of whether it has spread or will recur once removed. Generally, the categories used are the following:1,2

•Thickness of <1mm: At this level, it is very unlikely that the melanoma has grown deep enough for any of the cancer cells to break away from the primary tumor and spread. Hence, there is a low risk of the melanoma coming back once it has been removed. Prognosis (5 year survival rate): 95-100%
•Thickness of 1-2mm: At this level, there is some risk that some melanoma cells have broken off an begun to spread. Your doctor will likely take a wider excision area when removing the melanoma tumor, and may perform other tests, such as a lymph node biopsy to assess whether it has spread to your lymph nodes. Prognosis (5 year survival rate): 80-96%
•Thickness of 2-4mm: At this level, the risk that the melanoma has begun to spread from the primary tumor is higher, and your doctor will likely perform some additional tests (indicates a high risk of the melanoma coming back). Prognosis (5 year survival rate): 60-75%
•Thickness of >4mm: At this level, the risk that the melanoma has begun to spread from the primary tumor is highest, and your doctor will likely perform some additional tests. Prognosis (5 year survival rate): 50%
In addition, if the melanoma shows signs of ulceration (if the tumor is cracked or bleeding), which will be confirmed by the pathology report, then the 5 and 15 year survival rates go down more. The biggest drop, is in the >4mm thickness category, where survival rates are roughly 15-20% lower(1).

It is important to note, however, that while the thickness of the melanoma is an indication of the risk that is may have spread, it is not a diagnosis that is has spread. Some melanomas thicker than 4mm have not spread, or have not spread far (and hence are very curable). This is why further diagnostic testing is usually warranted by....

WVOtoGO · #14 10-05-2010, 07:52 PM

So far, my worst was mohs surgery by a dermatologist on the right ear followed by a cosmetic surgeon filling the hole with a chunk of my ars.

Oh what fun !!

#15 10-05-2010, 08:32 PM

Ouch, I tend to get very burned while skiing at high altitude, worse than anything I've ever gotten at a beach. Maybe I'm just lucky, but I've never had any consequences.