Hole in my Head

[bebe]

I had a squamous cancerous tumor removed from my scalp this morning. I want to warn everyone to take serious any bump on your body.
I've had a bump on my scalp for years. Never thought anything about it. This Fall it started increasing in size. I saw a dermatologist, she said it was
a large Pilar Cyst and come back after Christmas to have it removed. Well, I ended up going to another Derm closer to my house and one that took mu insurance.
She too thought it was a Pilar cyst. Last week she opened it up and then said she couldn't get it all out and didn't feel comfortable digging in my scalp. So made an appt.
for me to see a plastic surgeon. This past Monday, it went in real quick to see her nurse because the stitches felt loose and a clear fluid was leaking through. Again, no big deal, just a cyst, see the plastic surgeon, but come in this Thursday to get the stitches removed.

So this morning I went in to have the stitches removed. Again, the nurse says, Pilar cyst. Then the Derm Dr. comes in and says I looked at your slides last week and I couldn't determine what it was. It's possible it's squamous cancer, but it could be a proliferating pilar cyst. Then she said "I asked my nurse to call you and tell you just go to the Med Center to this specialized surgeon and get it removed". Well, her nurse never called me, so I've been agonozing for the past 2 weeks about this! I'm furious. But the tumor is out and there were clear margins all around.

The surgeon removed a 50 cent size section of scalp and went pretty deep too. The stitches are hurting, my scalp is throbbing. And I'm chicken to take pain meds becasue I know I'm going to be throwing up afterwards. I'm icing it now and hoping I can tough out the pain. Ugh. You think it will never happen to you. But PS friends, it can and does.

 

[kas baby]

I''ve had a few cysts removed on my scalp too, but none of them were ever anything serious. As of late I have developed another- will definitely be getting it checked out now!

I hope you have a speedy recovery and that it never comes back

 

[Gayletmom]

Oh, Bebe, what an ordeal. I hope that you feel better soon and am glad to hear that the margins were clear. Hopefully, that''s the last you''ll ever have to think about it.

Sending you dust and prayers.

 

[iheartscience]

Yikes-I''m sorry you had to go through that! I''m glad they got it all and I hope you feel better soon!

 

[Gailey]

Bebe, I''m so sorry that you''ve had to endure this. I hope this will be the last of it for you.

Thank you so much for posting about it and reminding everyone to leave no bump un-attended.

Good luck honey!

 

[risingsun]

Thank goodness it was properly evaluated and treated. I had squamous cell CA on my nose that was removed and not evaluated accurately. By the time it was properly diagnosed, I had a real mess on my hands. I ended up with a dime size hole on the side of my nose. It took multiple plastic surgeries to repair it. Please take your meds, if you can. I''m so sorry that you are going through this, but grateful that someone finally diagnosed you properly.

 

[joflier]

I''m sorry Bebe. That''s lousy - but at least they got it! Hope it heals quick!

 

[lulu]

Thank God they got it all. Ever since my aunt was diagnosed with melanoma I''ve been going to the dermatologist every year to have my moles checked.

 

[CasaBlanca]

How very thoughtful of you to stop while in pain to post a warning to the board. I am humbled that you thought of us to share your experience. I am so thankful you listened to the change in your body and knew it was time to see a specialist. And that you are ok now.

Remember you said it has been removed...it is gone. All good from here on out. SO we celebrate!

If the pain medicine makes you queasy will you call your nurse and ask her if it is ok to take only half of the pill or a quarter of the pill? And find out what you shouldn''t eat...but what you can to fill that empty stomach before you do. Saltines or perhaps some toast...jello always helped me as a kidlet. I just hate to hear you have meds that can alleviate your pain and yet you are too afraid. Take it slow. I don''t want you to have any more pain...especially since you are so concerned for us, your PS peeps.

So will you make the call?

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 2/11/2010 7:54:29 PM
Author: CasaBlanca

If the pain medicine makes you queasy will you call your nurse and ask her if it is ok to take only half of the pill or a quarter of the pill?

Which pain medication have you been prescribed? With most, like vicodin and percocet, they can be divided into 1/4 and then that can even be divided in half to make 1/8. That''s how I''ve always had to do it because vicodin makes me really nauseous at the full-amount.

 

[packrat]

Oh my Bebe! What an ordeal! I''m glad they got it all tho, and I''m glad you went in to get it checked out.

 

[Laila619]

Yikes! Wishing you a very speedy recovery Bebe.

 

[oddoneout]

What a horrible thing to go though. I hope you feel better soon.

 

[April20]

Oh my gosh. I''m so sorry! But glad at the same time that it''s removed. I hope it heals well and you feel better soon!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I''m so sorry, too!!!! Hope you''ll feel better soon! Thanks for the warning, too!

 

[luvmyhalo]

What a scary ordeal. So glad they got it all! I hope the pain subsides fast Bebe!

 

[Blackpaw]

oh bebe im so sorry

i hope you''ll be ok, keeping you in my thoughts...

 

[Diamond*Dana]

Oh dear! I hope that you are feeling better soon!

 

[Luckyeshe]

I am glad they got it all out!! What an ordeal you''ve gone through!! May you have a speedy recovery, bebe!!

 

[Bella_mezzo]

I''m sorry Bebe! I have two cysts on my head and they keep saying they''re fine and just cysts, but I think I might go get a third opinion now.

Why would the nurse not call you?

glad everything is ok now and hope you feel better!

 

[Dancing Fire]

bebe

glad everything is okay now,get well soon.

 

[Kaleigh]

bebe, so sorry, glad is all well now... Gosh what an ordeal and how scary for you....

 

[artdecogirl]

BeBe, so sorry to hear about your troubles, I can imagine it is a great relief to have it done. Will pray for better pain control for you. I have had multi basal cell carcinomas removed and I feel the wait is the worst and to find out it was needless must be very frustrating! Heal fast!

 

[bee*]

wow that''s awful. Hope you''re recovering ok and glad that they got it all out.

 

[radiantquest]

Oof. I am sorry to hear that. That is good that you have clear margins. I hope the pain subsides soon.

I have had many a weird lump. I have one on my knee that sometimes raises up and sometimes flattens out, but it is always there. And I had a cyst on my neck that was going to get removed. I went in the summer and the derm said that unless the one on my knee was causing problems she wanted to leave it alone and not go prodding around in there and I wanted to wait until winter to get the cyst on my neck taken off and it just went away. I never would have thought that either was serious. I am so glad that you went and had it checked out and removed.

 

[bebe]

Thank you everyone for your thoughts. I really wanted to get the word out - check out every little bump.
Most squamous cancers are from sun exposure or trauma. Mine was neither, so who knows how the things
start. My doctor told me he sees very few of these on the scalp. That scares me. He will continue to monitor
me for quite some time to be sure it doesn''t spread to my lymph nodes. But he got clear margins on the
surrounding tissue he removed. It just bothers me that it could just pop up again.

He prescribed Darvaset for pain. It makes me jittery and dizzy. But I need the sleep. The stitches are extemely
tight and pull my scalp. My neck and back hurt as well. So my plan is take Tylenol during the day and the pain
meds only at night. I''ve lost hair where the stitches are of course and being a female, I'' concerned about that.
We were supposed to go to a convention in Scottsdale next week, but I think that''s being put on hold for right now.

The doctor asked me a lot of questions about my ring. His wife is wanting "another one" he said! So like any devoted PS''er
I tried to educate him. I told him cut was king and he should be remember that because he "cuts" a lot. ha ha! I told him about
WF, ERD and Brian Gavin. And Pricescope of course.

 

[vespergirl]

Bebe, I''m so glad that they caught it and got the whole thing out. Sorry that you have to go through that - I will definitely be going back to the derm to get my moles checked when my baby is out.

Isn''t that funny about your ring though? You poor thing - you''re trying to get some medical care, and the doctor is making you give him advice

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Healing vibes your way! Sorry for your anguish.

kind regards, Sharon

 

[bebe]

Vesper, he was asking a lot of questions about diamonds. I kinda think he might have been trying to distract me.

But he was serious about his wife wanting another one.