Nothing To Fear But Fear Itself...

Hi , I’ve just had a good laugh at though of you walking through the supermarket, now if it had been a green arrow, I believe that’s a super hero ! I’m glad your experience was so good, I wondered if you had posted this in the skin cancer group as well as a good experience to share. 

Thanks for your kind reply, KTatHome. I too laughed at myself when I got home! Good idea to share with the Skin group and I'll post a copy there.

Very best wishes and I hope whatever treatment you are having it is going perfectly.

Hi 

That's great news that you've had your BCC removed and found the whole procedure very doable. As my friend KTatHome has suggested, it would be great if you could also post this update in the skin cancer group. Clicking on this link will take you to your post in that group. I'm sure those waiting for this type of surgery would be very happy to see how well you got on.

Your comments about finding a large arrow on your face reminded me of my experience when I had an excision on my arm and a sentinel lymph node removed from my armpit. When I undressed for bed that night I realised that I had a large arrow drawn across my chest pointing to the correct arm for surgery and another arrow pointing to my armpit. Fortunately, as it was winter, I hadn't appeared outside the hospital showing the surgeon's artwork!

x

Hi AngusMac

I'm wondering where you got such excellent and kind treatment for a BCC.  Which area of the country are you in - Scotland by any chance with your name?  Where I live you would not get near a consultant surgeon with a BCC, just a nurse even for one on the nose as my friend found out.  Even if the supposed BCC turned out to be a malignant melanoma you would still not be allowed to see a consultant, you would remain under the care of a nurse.  As would be explained consultants cannot be swamped by people with with red lesions i.e. BCCs.

Hi Tiptoes12

I suppose it varies from place to place or county to county.  I have seen the consultant several times and had two operations performed by him too.  I'm in Staffordshire, where are you?

J

I'm in Hampshire, where you are sent off to Tier 2 Dermatology which is comprised of GPs, termed dermatologists who diagnose backed up by a specialist nurse who gives her opinion on what it is you have and then operates.  Not the pleasantest of experiences so I guess the money is spent elsewhere, although I have been told that this country is short of several hundred consultant dermatologists.

Hi Tiptoes,

I'm on the south coast of England and was treated at the Dorset County Hospital following a routine checkup barely six weeks previously  by a young GP who was examining me for a painful lump that had appeared on my left shoulder. If it wasn't for his sharp eyes I would be none the wiser about the spot on my hooter. My surgeon has already asked to see me again next month to check on how the wound is healing. Thankfully, the lump on my shoulder responded to topical treatment and has gone completely. 

Hi Angus

Interesting, I should stayed in Dorset living outside Bridport.  Four years it took to get what was plainly sitting on my arm removed while I was told it was nothing, I was too pale take vitamin D and finally put Efudix cream on it.  None of which worked of course and all hampered by the rule that GPs can deal with it and you do not need a consultant for such a trivial thing.

I am astonished to read your unfortunate story and now consider myself even more luckier than I've been. I was originally examined back in late January and was offered an op date for the last week of February but chose not to accept it as I was going on a long weekend trip to Germany. Instead, I was rescheduled for the day after my return.

Hi Angus

Yes, you have been treated very well but that is how it should be and you should be pleased.  After 6 months of treatment with the refusal to let me see a consultant or even know who mine was, I moved Hospital Trusts and now see a wonderful group of doctors.  I complained of course which then led to the 'loss' of my hospital file - the only file that could not be supplied out of several thousand requests made by patients in that year.  Draw your own conclusions on that one.  Finally the ombudsman is taking notice of what has been going on and hopefully the hospital will have to give some answers for their behaviour - we will see!!  When it is just the patient, they know they can get away with ignoring you and writing patronising letters.