A wart or skin cancer…

[TimT]

I'm a 61 year old cracker.. grew up on the water... had more sunburns than I can count.... I crack up when the dermatologist asks you how many times have you had a sunburn.....

Should I say 1572 times?

Anyway I had some weird dry patches on my face and dome....

Biopsied turned up "Actinic Keratosis" a melanoma precursor...

Oddly enough the treatment is with light.... you have applied to your skin a cream that bonds with the pre-cancerous cells... then are exposed to either red or blue light for 10 minutes...Which activates the magic..

Then you get to look like Deadpool for two weeks..







Go get that biopsied


All those scabs and discolored areas are the bad stuff falling off...

[Crowbob]

I’ve been prescribed Efudex (a white cream that disrupts cell growth) that you spread all over the areas every day until your skin bleeds and falls off, which for me is about 10 days. After which I look allot like Tim only prettier. I’m gonna ask about the light thing. Never herd of it.

[TimT]

PDT

Photo Dynamic Therapy

https://www.webmd.com/melanoma-skin-cancer/skin-cancer-guide/photodynamic-therapy-nonmelanoma#1



https://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/treatment-types/radiation/photodynamic-therapy.html

My skin is certainly different since my treatment

[Les Paul]

That looks like the typical bla bla. Your dermatologist will biopsy it and freeze it off the day you go in. Then you get the call 7-10 days later. I’d been sliced and diced and 2 moh’s from 2008 till 2011. Going in every 6 months. Then had a small mole that she had seen many times and ignored. But the mole at shirt collar level got red and started hurting 24/7. Long story short went in did biopsy the she freezes it off. A week later it’s a call from her. Not one of her nurses. She said are you sitting down? Yea. You have melanoma. The Major surgery removing a bunch of lymph nodes near there. I couldn’t turn my head farther than a quarter turn for years. Then the diagnosis. Stage 4. Get your affairs in order you have an 80% chance of getting one of the 4 major cancers that kill you. So I did my bucket list and somehow here I am. They still tell you might have that rogue cell deal you’ll never be truly out of the woods. Yea I was the typical sun worshiping fool forever. Every man or woman needs a dermatologist especially if you are blue eyed and got way too much sun growling up.

[Crowbob]

Thank you, Tim!

[flatbutt]

Every 6 months I get the liquid N2 treatment. So far so good.

[Jeff Hail]

Get it checked out.


A lot of seasoned veterans with battle scars and good advice. Go see the doctor.

I have lichen planus pop up about every two years on my clavicle areas. Dr. Dermo cauterizes them and then they turn white. Little slice gets pathology just in case. Nothing has ever come up twice in the same place. I am light skinned with freckles and formerly red hair now past gray. As a kid I had my share of sun burn and exposure.

As we age the ability of our skin to repair and heal becomes less and less.

Its actually amazing how many treatments use light like blue, red or UV-B. These penetrate the upper layers of the skin which most of the time is where damage occurs.

If you are on antibiotics stay out of the sun, cover up or use some kind of UV protection. Many antibiotics can cause photosensitive side effects like sun burn, rashes etc.

PDT uses specialized drugs that react with certain lights. Very interesting science.

If you have something that pops up and doesn't go away in a week or two get it checked out.

[Bill Douglas]

Originally Posted by Crowbob

I’ve been prescribed Efudex

Yeah, I've had that. People were taking one look at me and running. They must have confused me with Freddy Kruger.

[Superman]

Does it itch?

[A930Rocket]

Originally Posted by Superman

Does it itch?

No itching.

I’m blue-eyed, formally blonde (now grey), fair skin and 62. Up until my mid 20s, I was at the beach all the time and got sunburned, way too many times. Then, add working outside building homes for 30+ years, there’s been a lot of sun exposure.

Monday, I’ll call the doc for an appointment.

Stay safe out there.

[cassisrot]

Broad flat brim cowboy style hats are a great preventative.

[GH85Carrera]

I spent my early days living in Hawaii. No shirt, no shoes, just shorts, all the time. Even at school!

I was so tanned I could be outside all day and not get sunburned. No one had ever heard of sunscreen except Zinc Oxide for the nose when at the beach.

I have standing appointments at the dermatologist. Usually a zap with liquid nitrogen. I always leave with several fresh spots zapped.

[87maniac]

a benign small lump the size of a BB
can suddenly become hyper-aggressive,
metasticize, and migrate along the lymph system.

Immunodeficiency plays a very strong
indicator of the potential of this transformation.

No Joke, This happened to me,
In the space of four months I was on the table.

this is Squamous Cell skin cancer, the 'easy' skin cancer.

Parotidectomy+lymphadenectomy

[Bill Douglas]

Geeze, 87. Shark attack?

Every year I get a dozen burnt off my face, and it seems every second year I get a chunk cut out.

[87maniac]

Not me.
But you can be sure I'm not kayaking in Morro Bay this week.

[astrochex]

I ain’t complaining about my excisions and plastic surgeries after seeing pic posted by 87.

I can’t imagine the recovery that person went through.

[R K T]

Grew up on the beach and I'm German-Irish-Scot so burning was a daily thing.

Five years ago had 11 biopsies done and found several places that needed removing.
Worst was a small zit looking thing that never went away. Biopsy showed roots and it ran from the corner of my mouth almost to my eye.
MOH's surgery got it all...

[Bill Douglas]

Originally Posted by R K T

Biopsy showed roots and it ran from the corner of my mouth almost to my eye.

Yeah they do some weird things. the secret with all of them is to get them early.

GF is a clinical coder of cancers and she says there is a very specific timeline of what is survivable and what isn't.

So Guys it's not a "Wait and see how it looks in a while." See a good skin doc as soon as possible.

[87maniac]

As mentioned, you must become the most pro-active
advocate of your health and demand appropriate care.

I hadda in-face argue with a derma office scheduler
that High-Risk patients need ASAP appts. for MOHS.

she's now seeing the results...
Four (4) months from 'no concern'
to Major Surgeries,
Radiation,
Chemotherapy
and Palliaitive Care.

[Sooner or later]

A few months ago I had a new HVAC system installed. The company sent out a rep to check out the final install. I was shooting the chit with the guy and he said he had skin cancer on his back last year and had just completed chemo. He said he had pictures if I wasn't squeamish. I said sure (I was expecting a small area). The area removed and stitched was similar in size to what 87maniac showed. It damn sure wasn't what I was expecting.