Dermabrasion

Hi Ilona and welcome to the online community

I'm sorry my welcome is a bit late but I've been on holiday this last week and my ability to get on to the internet was severely limited. Replying to you will push your post back to the top of the page so you may now get more replies from those who have had the same procedure and experiences as you.

I see that you have responded to some other posts in this group and received helpful replies so hopefully most of what you wanted to know has been answered. Also I believe you will have seen someone last week to have your nose "sanded down" so hopefully they will have been able to answer all your questions. It would be interesting to know how that went as your experience could prove useful for others in a similar position in future.

As for how much time you should have off work that's a very difficult question to answer. We all have different pain thresholds but if you feel that the pain you're in means you can't do your job then don't feel guilty asking your GP for another sick-note. I guess the GP has a duty to make sure that they're not signing people off work unnecessarily but only you know how much pain you're in.

x

Hi Latchbrook,

Don't worry - that's absolutely fine. I hope you had a wonderful, restorative holiday. Of course you shouldn't be monitoring postings while you're away! It's been lovely hearing from people generally. :-) 

When I went back on Monday, and then again on Thursday, the graft hadn't got to the stage they could do any abrasion. They just did more 'trimming' of the dead bits. They seem pleased with how it's healing - it now looks largely pink and red (means the blood is getting in there) with just a couple of black bits on the edges remaining, and some slightly yellow patches which they said were sloughing(?) which appears to be a normal process when there are dead cells being moved out from the tissue. It all looks shiney and moist, almost like there isn't any skin on it (which I don't understand, given I had the graft!).

I told the MOHS surgeon/dermatologist my sick note was coming to an end, and what did he think about me going back to work. He said I would need another fortnight off. I'm still 'grounded' - not allowed to go out, bend, lift or do anything that will put my blood pressure up (no exercise bike for me!) to promote wound healing. Work have been lovely. My manager came round and was totally supportive of me staying away for now. 

I wondered why I don't feel ready to go back. I'm not in pain at all, thankfully. It really is only a relatively small wound, after all, even though it is on the tip of my nose! I realised it's more that I feel quite vulnerable, exposed and inwardly wobbly, and like I haven't got the inner 'oemph' to face clients and work at the pace and stress levels I'm required to at work (I work as the only social worker in a hospice). I guess I'm also aware that it's an open wound (even with a dressing on it). I think once there is dry skin or a scab over the top to close it off, I will feel different. In the mean time I'm grateful I can be at home and read and sleep (I seem to be having lots of wonderful little naps)!

Lots of love to you and everyone here!  xx

Hi Ilona

I hope you're well. How's your nose healing? Have they been able to do the "sanding down" that you mentioned?

Take care

x

Hi Latchbrook, 

Thanks for checking to see how things are going. That's lovely of you. I guess my nose looks a lot better than it did, though it's still very noticeable. They say I'll have to wait until X'mas or the NY to see the final result - they will offer plastic surgery if it's not good enough. I was going to see the specialist two months after the last appointment (which would have been just over a month away), but there is a place it's not healing like the rest of it. Redness keeps coming and going. I worried that the skin for the graft was taken from my clavicle, which is where I have been very sunburnt in the mid 90s when I got lost walking in Indonesia and had weeping sores afterwards. I sent a photo to the specialist who wrote back 'I see what you mean' and asked me to come see him tomorrow to see if it needs to be reviewed. 

Oh dear. Hopefully it'll be okay. That would be the ultimate irony, wouldn't it - if they'd replaced skin with cancer with other skin with cancer.

I have handed in my notice to my job. I had to go back (I had had two months off, so that is not unreasonable) but I just couldn't face working at the level of responsibility, speed and intensity I had been doing (only social worker in a hospice). It's scary, and I kept checking if I should withdraw my resignation, but whenever I think about it, despite my fear at leaving a good job with a great salary and benefits, not to mention my pension, I come up against an internal brick wall. I just can't do it anymore - maybe I'm burnt out. Work are very supportive, and are allowing me to work out my notice not doing any client facing work. 

I have income from doing Airbnb and have been to an agency who say they can get me shift work as a support worker in a residential project for people with mental health and addiction problems. I've worked with that group before, and I think that will be okay, as I will have less responsibility and can just be with people and help them as best I can. I'll also be part of a team. I have lovely colleagues where I work, but none of them were social workers. 

How are you doing? Were you waiting for results of another biopsy? 

With all my best, 

Jeannet xx

Forgot to say - they haven't been able to do dermabrasion, as they don't know how far the 'lump' of the graft will shrink of its own regard. They don't want to take anything off in case it then later becomes a dent. That makes sense. They have told me to massage my nose with Vaseline or oil for 20 minutes twice a day to break down the scar tissue and let normal tissue form. xx

Ilona

Hi Jeannet

I'm glad to hear that your nose is making progress although maybe not as quickly as you'd like it to! 

I hope everything goes well tomorrow and that the consultant just thinks that your red areas are taking longer to heal than everywhere else. As you say, it would be the ultimate irony if the skin graft turns out to have skin cancer in it!

I can understand that it's a huge decision to make to hand in your notice. I did the same 10 years ago, although not for health reasons, and I've never regretted it. I enjoyed my job and got on well with the people I worked with but my husband was retiring and it seemed pointless for him to be sitting around the house while I went to work when we could be off gallivanting together!

I have the next of my 3 monthly melanoma check-ups in a couple of weeks time and, although I'm not expecting him to find anything, it's always slightly nerve wracking!

I am still technically waiting for the results of the biopsy. I phoned the consultant's secretary the day before I went away on holiday to see if the results were back yet. They were and were being posted to me that day. I explained that I wouldn't see them for a fortnight but although she couldn't tell me over the phone what it was she did say I'd been discharged so it was nothing to worry about. I'll post an update to the group when I get home next week and let you all know what it was. Anyway, the plastic surgeon who did the biopsy has made a very neat job of it and if I need any trousers turning up in future I know where to go, lol.

Let me know how it goes tomorrow.

xx

Hi Latchbrook, 

Of course it's a bit nerve wracking with the check-up ... I'll keep my fingers crossed. So annoying they couldn't tell you the biopsy result over the phone or email it to you, but thankfully it really does sound okay. Surely they wouldn't have discharged you otherwise! But fingers crossed, of course. Thanks for letting us all know.  :-)

Thanks for your reassurance that there is life after work. I'm sure there is - it just feels a little bit scary financially (no partner or family)! Your giving up work when your husband retired makes total sense. Great you are able to enjoy life together!  

I'll feel better once the doc has had a look at the funny patch. Better safe than sorry!  I'll definitely let you know.  :-)

xx

Hi Latchbrook, 

I'm very relieved the specialist thought the funny bit was just where the graft had been at its thickest and it is just ongoing wound healing. He was very pleased with how it's going, feels we may not need dermabrasion as the graft is slimming down, and explained the large dark patch is just extra pigment. He said that would take a long time to go (but I guess, if I need to, I can cover that up. It's the bulge that is harder to camouflage!). 

I look forward to hearing your news when you have it. 

Sending much love, Jeannet xx

Ilona

Hi Jeannet

Great news!! I bet you were really pleased and just a little bit relieved that everything was normal.

It'll be great if you don't have to have the extra procedure as well 

I'll be sure to let you know what my red bump turned out to be.

Take care

x

Definitely! It had been worrying me ...  :-)

You too, take care, and fingers crossed for your bump.  

Jeannet xx