My tale of woe and WTF???

Now I have never published a photo of myself on this blog because I don't take very good pictures.  Pictures of me are either very good or very bad.  I was going to take one and post for this award I received and never posted about,but the timing was off.  Then I had a huge pimple on my chin, and this spot above my right upper lip.  Well I knew I was having the spot removed, because it was a minor skin cancer, so I figured I would wait. 

Well, my tale of woe is about that removal.  My original derm guy said it need removal by MOHS, which is an all day affair.  The procedure is described as follows (for your future reference): the physician removals the offending spot in layers, making sure he only takes what he needs.  When he is done this first time, he personally checks the slides to ensure he removed all of the cancer.  If he didn't, you go back in and he removes some more.  The closure is done via a skin advancement technique.  This ensures the skin isn't pulled tightly together for closure, since it is a wide area that is removed.  Plus it is aesthetically pleasing on the face.  Minimal scarring.  I didn't really care about the scar.  To me scars are a part of life, and I am really not that vain.

While you are waiting, the area is covered with a loose bandage and you are in a separate non-public waiting room.  For me first time was a charm, but I had to wait to be closed, because it was busy.  Eventually I get called back in for closure/reconstruction.  I wait an hour and the closure takes an additional hour.

I get finished, and I have basically a tampon type pressure bandage on my face:  non graphic picture below and that red stuff is ketchup from a burger not blood.

I go get my pain meds filled because I know my anesthetic will be wearing off, and I am by myself.  I told the hubby I would be fine never realizing I would soon be a basket case.  About five minutes before I get my meds, I'm sitting in the pharmacy at the hospital and my face starts hurting...bad.  I feel like crying but no, I won't do it.  Get meds, leave, walk across two bridges between buildings (no, no, no I will not cry), pick up car at valet, and I am out.  15 minutes to drive home. 

I no sooner get in the car and I loose it.  I cried the whole way home, with a tampon pressure bandage on my face.  I do not do pain well at all.  I am a super weinie and I fully admit it.  They gave me super low dose oxycontin for pain, but I wait until I get home.  Never took them before and have no idea how they will affect me.  I get home, sniffling and crying into the door, my husband hugs me, and I am a mess.  I take two oxy and an antibiotic and 1 hour later I am as high as a kite.  Almost got sick too. 

So what is my problem?  After all of this I finally look at what is going on on my face and this is it the next day.  Might be graphic so scroll down if you like:

Difficult to eat or drink, and I don't want to get the bandage dirty.  The stitches go around my mouth along the lip line, to hide that scar.  That's where they took the advancement flap from.  It's swollen and a pain in the butt.  And yes, I want to bitch about it.  It's not that I'm vain or anything, but WTF???  I was not expecting this.

My physician was a sweet dermatologist, we chatted the whole time, and I would definitely recommend him.  Here's the deal though: either he didn't fully explain or took for granted I knew (because he knows I work there and have a pretty good medical understanding) or I wasn't paying attention.  Any ones of these is possible.   I was just not prepared for this thing, and it is much worse than my previous surgical experience of last year.  (If you ever need a lumpectomy, email me and I'll give you the scoop.)

I go back next Tuesday and get the stitches the removed, so hopefully things will be better next week.
I'll keep you posted.  Thanks for letting me vent guys.  I appreciate it.

Until then Jenny Scars signing out!  Ahoy there matey!!!

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