Sorry for my infrequent visits to B'Net (I see they've "improved" things again.  :p )

I had the surgery. It is called a MOHS procedure. The surgeon removed all the visible cancer and immediately sent it to the lab for analysis. The showed that he had not gotten all of it, but the second incision did. (It usually takes from 2 to 4 attempts to get everything.)

He told me that this was indeed a squamous cell carcinoma, and a very aggressive one. It had grown as much in 2 months as it would in most people in ten YEARS. >yikes<  The initial spot was about the size of a quarter. The tumor, like an iceburg, was mostly unseen, ending up being just a bit more than three inches across. When he finished the excision, it looked like he had taken a melon baller and scooped out a hunk of face.  The stitches came out last Monday, and the bandages are now coming off. Looks like it is healing beautifully.

There will be follow up radiation treatment. The surgeon said that he is 99.9% sure he got it all, but recommended this "just to be sure".

Thank you for your prayers, as I will be praying for you.

Apr 9, 2011 -- 11:09PM, Xapisma wrote:

Sorry for my infrequent visits to B'Net (I see they've "improved" things again.  :p )

I had the surgery. It is called a MOHS procedure. The surgeon removed all the visible cancer and immediately sent it to the lab for analysis. The showed that he had not gotten all of it, but the second incision did. (It usually takes from 2 to 4 attempts to get everything.)

He told me that this was indeed a squamous cell carcinoma, and a very aggressive one. It had grown as much in 2 months as it would in most people in ten YEARS. >yikes<  The initial spot was about the size of a quarter. The tumor, like an iceburg, was mostly unseen, ending up being just a bit more than three inches across. When he finished the excision, it looked like he had taken a melon baller and scooped out a hunk of face.  The stitches came out last Monday, and the bandages are now coming off. Looks like it is healing beautifully.

There will be follow up radiation treatment. The surgeon said that he is 99.9% sure he got it all, but recommended this "just to be sure".

Thank you for your prayers, as I will be praying for you.

Damn Charlie.  That is rough.  Take it easy during the radiation treatment, it can feel like a welder's burn, but it will go away soon.  I hope that you are on the mend soon. 

Mike

This is very good news, Charlie.

He is risen, indeed!