I was diagnosed with a BCC on left side nasal alar. recently... basically on the left side of my nose just on the crease above my left nostril. A big shock but I wasn't surprised as my late father and one of my sisters had been diagnosed with BCC's in the past. One had been treated with cream and the other had theirs removed. I was diagnosed in Nov 2020 and planned to have MOHS surgery on the NHS but due to the pandemic I was looking at at least a 15 month wait for the surgery. I am in the fortunate position that my dear in laws offered to pay for the MOHS surgery privately - I feel eternally grateful to them for this. I had the surgery just before Christmas and am gradually healing but given that my lesion was subtle (i.e there was very little to see on the surface of the skin, just a faintly different colour to my normal skin that began to bleed). However, when I was having the MOHS surgery they had to go a little deeper as although there was little to see from the surface, the 'roots' went a little deeper. I have, therefore, had to have a local skin flap taken from the left side of my nose (around the bridge of the nose). So am now 'sporting a scar in the shape of an S along most of the length of the left side of my nose. I am still less than three weeks since the surgery, so early days with regards to healing and still a long way to go but am hoping in time the scar will fade.
I think I had underestimated just how much of a physical and psychological impact the surgery would have on me. Some days I feel like 'I have got this' and other days feel quite overwhelmed. I am presuming this is normal? I have little feeling still on the left side of my nose - something they don't warn you about! Some days the wound itches and other times it feels like there is a feeling of pressure on my nose (much like the feeling when you are wearing a pair of glasses). That's another thing that has been frustrating for me - i wear glasses for reading and close up work and because of where my wound is I have not been able to bear wearing my glasses. Hopefully this will become less of an issue as I heal - as I love reading! From what I read about this it can take months for feeling to return, sometimes it can be permanent. So... we will see..... I am presuming that as I can feel itching and a feeling of pressure that these are the nerve endings beginning to regenenerate??
Psychologically although I have tried to be brave and stoic through this all - I tell myself the cancer has gone - it is hard to look in the mirror to see a slightly changed version of me looking back. I am hoping that as the scar becomes less evident and begins to fade that these feelings will disappear....
I send my best wishes to all that are going through the same - perhaps we can help one another through this.....
