Recovery from forehead flap nose reconstruction

Hi Penelope,

How are you? Great to hear from you.. did you have a good New Years Eve?  Mark and I had a quiet but enjoyable one which suited us both just fine... how are you feeling about our big day next week? I’m kind of excited and scared at the same time.. I’m looking forward to having this lump of forehead lol more like a nose but not looking forward to the anaesthetic and bit straight afterwards... 

I have to say It’s anazing how much everything’s is healing although I’m sure there will be more black eyes and scabs etc this time next week.

Would you believe it.. I started training again this week and have so far managed 3 sessions albeit with some caution.. I’m going to my martial arts club tomorrow and hope to get a couple of sessions in before the 10th got psychological reasons as much as anything.. I’m pretty certain I will be resting again for a while after the operation..  are you hVing a general anaesthetic too?  I will and it seems will be kept in overnight but hope to be home by Thursday evening.

Hope alls well with you 

Have a great weekend 

Mackie

Happy New Year Mackie;   So nice to hear from you as we prepare for the next round.   Isn't that funny, my husband's name is also Mark!  Our NYE was quiet but fun as we spent it at our country place with our huge labrador retriever dog.  I'm so glad you've been able to do some workouts and martial arts (that is beautiful training).  My surgeon gave me the clear last Friday to do "gentle" workouts too and I immediately jumped on my treadmill for a brisk walk and then on my cycling trainer for a few spins (I really miss my running though).  Psychologically very helpful!  Yes, I think we will be off for another couple weeks at least after the next surgery.  My reasoning is that maybe our bodies will benefit from some time off training (I usually train pretty constantly all year and then pick up the intensity when races season starts up...I'm probably over-trained sometimes actually). 

As much as surgery is anxiety provoking - it will feel so good for our pedicles to be gone!  I really can't wait.  I opted to try and have my surgery under local with "twilight sedation" but the final call will happen on the day with the anesthesiologist - so I will still prepare for general (ugh).  I hope there is less pain this time because the pain medications made me feel horrid (nausea, constipation from hell, and light headed).  Oh yes, the black eyes and scabs....so lovely!  My cancer was also very close to my right eye and presently still looks weird (though not black/purple anymore).  We can do it!!! I've been trying to take this on like I would an endurance race....keeping good nutrition, trying to rest up and keep well hydrated.  I'm sure you're doing the same - thank goodness we were healthy to begin with, I can't image what this would be like if we weren't.  

I'm so glad to have met you through this community - it is so comforting to know we are not alone (and at the same time!).  I will be thinking of you :)  

Warm wishes, Penelope

Hi Penelope,

Great to hear from you... I just had to show Mark your message.. he laughed, in a nice way, and agreed that there seem to be a lot of similarities between the two of us, not least of all our attitudes towards exercise... I too love running and miss it very much!

I did a T25 abs intervals workout at home yesterday which was a little tougher than usual but I forced myself to do it as I thought I’m going to be out of action again next week for a while... we also went training at my martial arts club this morning and whilst my instructor wanted me to take things easy I felt I could take part as usual and so helped teach the junior belts plus completed all the fitness with the others with a beanie hat on to cover my forehead and a gauze bandage across my nose as the kids there are great but I’m not sure they are ready for my nose as it is... plus it was sooo cold... needless to say I’m sore and tired now after my weeks exertions and have probably gone a little too hard so I’ve since used the roller to ease my poor hamstrings etc...

I’m so glad you had a great New Year.. sounds idyllic the two of you at your place in the woods with your dog...

I’m too so happy we’ve met and really can’t believe how much we have in common and love that we will be there for each other next week... only thing is that I won’t be having  my pedicle removed as you are as my surgeon likes to leave it attached a while longer which means mine will be removed during a third surgery a little later on.  On Wednesday they will leave the tip and bottom of my graft attached while they lift the rest and remove the muscle etc that was grafted as well and yay.. make my graft look more like a Mose at last which I guess is what you too will have done.. lucky you to be having your pedicle removed.. have you been taking photos along the way to record your progress?  I was a bit reluctant for Mark to take a photo of me when I went for my MOHs surgery but ended up taking a selfie of my poor bandaged nose and have kept a visual, albeit not very attractive visual diary ever since.... I’m so hopefully next week will be the start of this journey where I start to look a little more normal... I guess we shall soon see..

Do you by any chance have an Apple Watch? We got each other one for our Birthdays and track each other on the fitness App... it’s kind of fun although lately my goal rings have remained incomplete although this week has been much better.. I love mine but I know not everyone’s an Apple fan.. I’m rambling on a bit today.. sorry..

Anyway.. I hope you have a great weekend.. not long now!!

Best wishes

Mackie

Hello Mackie;   Thanks for your message (it's such fun hearing about you and your experiences too)-  I've been telling my Mark too about our parallels - he finds it very interesting and fun.  Send our regards to your Mark :)  Wow!  T25 Ab intervals!! That is fabulous - I bet you felt that one.  And I commend you on venturing out to your training session.  I see the parallel of how we like to push ourselves athletically as well - I totally get it! I love to think of how we will both be back at running before too long.  Sometimes I go over in my mind my favourite running routes and imagine doing it.  I remember from the last time I had skin cancer surgery and took 4 weeks off, I was surprised to find I hadn't lost that much fitness when I returned to running (here's hoping!).  

I recall you mentioning a third surgery, I hadn't realized that it is then that you'll have your pedicle off.  I did hear that the longer the pedicle is on, the better the result.  So good move even though it means a bit more waiting.  I think I have a third surgery (but not very invasive) down the road to smooth things out and reposition things as needed.  Yay to having our noses back a bit!  I'll let you know how the loss of the pedicle feels.  I have been taking photos every few days.  The first one I took was on day 2 after the forehead flap and it is horrifying to look at even now!  My nose was a lovely shade of purple-blue.  It's amazing to see the progress....bodies are remarkable in their strength.  My surgeons are the only ones who have my post Mohs surgery photo demonstrating the defect - I'm curious but I think I'd be scared to see it.  God forbid I lose my iPhone right now....that would be pretty gruesome for the thief (lol).

Ah, the apple watch sounds great!  What a blast to share that together with your Mark.  I'm an apple fan myself, but I don't have the watch.....yet!  I do record all of my workouts using my triathlon Garmin watch (920XT) and up-load to Strava and Dailymile.  My friends on Dailymile have been really supportive as I'm a devoted member.  Just before the surgery I completed my 1938 the day of a planking challenge (2 minutes wall sit, 2 minute front plank and 2 minutes each side planks every day!).  It was really hard to say good-bye to my daily plank session and I have no idea how I'll feel when I start back up.  Ugh.  

I hope you are both having a great weekend and that you are enjoying some more physical activity!  We are coming through this pretty darn well I'd say.  Looking forward to chatting again!

Warm wishes, Penelope

Hi Penelope,

Wow... really can’t believe how similar we are.. one of the things that upset me early days when I had my first appointment at the cancer centre MOHs Department was how old everyone seemed and how there was just no one there who I felt I could relate to or identify with... just made everything seem so difficult to understand... meeting you has done sooo much to help me feel that I’m not alone and actually I think it’s helped Mark too so thank you so much for that..

I have to say I’m really intrigued by your plank challenge... I do a bit of plank to and really value it as part of my exercise regime but I tend to do a standard 6 x 1minute plank with 30 secs rest in between at the end of a workout... sometimes I do side plank or side plank raises.. I’ve done a few 2 minute planks and love the sound of your challenge.. what exactly do you have to do each day and for how many days?  Is it one set of 2min wall sit, 2 min plank and 2 min plank each side everyday or do you do more than one set of that or do it for a set number of days?  As you can see I just love a challenge and this sounds like a good one for me and Mark to try... 

At training yesterday as part of the fitness bit I did 20 down to zero roundhouse kicks on a kick pad on each leg which is a pretty good exercise.. you do 20 roundhouse kicks at speed against the pad on your right leg, then on your left leg and then do 19 on your tight and then 19 on your left down to zero... my instructor said just go down to 10 but me being me had to go down to zero just to show myself I still could... I’m guessing you’d be the same lol... 

We sometimes do the same with press-ups and sit ups which is good and I’ve done but my upper body isn’t as strong as my lower body and  is something I still need to work on... 

Funny but I’m kind of excited about the 10th now.. just so badly want to move this process on and we’ll both have the support of our “Marks” and each other.. if you’re having a 3rd op too I guess it’s all going to be pretty much the same for us both except for the pedicle bit.. I’m really interested to hear how all that goes with you as I don’t really understand what it involves...  

OMG.. not long now... enjoy the rest of your weekend and please pass on my regards to your Mark..

Best wishes 

Mackie

Hello Mackie - almost there now!!  We are going to be fine and get through this like we do our workouts.  Your workouts sound amazing and challenging.  Great to hear about them.  Mark and I also feel so supported knowing you are out there going through the same thing at the same time and with such similarities.  Wow, I also felt what you described when I had the Mohs....I was definitely the youngest and healthiest looking person in the room.  Everyone was very old and also got to leave long before I did - many were "in and out" cases with small cancers.  It made us feel rather alienated - getting to know about your situation has helped with that a lot. 

Ah, the plank challenge! Yes, it was a 2 minute front plank, 2 minute wall sit, and 2 minute side planks (each) every day (no matter what!).  Sometimes I would get them done just before midnight...it was rather funny....even getting out of bed to go do them if I forgot.  It was great for my core and helped with running too.  I can't wait to be able to get back to it though I think I will have to start at Day 1 again (which is hard after 1938 days!!).  I highly recommend it :)

I imagine you may be leaving for the hospital soon (considering the time difference too).  I wish you all the best and I will be thinking of you.  I'll message you after to give you an up-date and I would love to hear how you're doing also (of course, when we are both ready).

We send our regards to your Mark also!  Such a funny parallel universe :)

Warm wishes and we will conquer this!!!

Penelope 

Hi Penelope,

Just wanted to say all the best for tomorrow... I will be thinking of you and look forward to hearing how it all went a few days from now..

Best wishes

Mackie x

Hi Sweet Ladies,

Best Wishes for tomorrow!  You've Got This!

Funny Thing...my Plastic Surgeon is not pleased with the thickness on the left side of my nose where he did the most work, so I too, will be having one more surgery Friday!  We will all have to compare photos!  

Love Our Connection!!

Best Wishes,

Yankeesmom

Dearest Yankeesmom;

Thanks so much for all your postings and your kind message!  So great to not feel alone in this most strange process of forehead flap reconstruction.   Wow....seems we are all in synchrony with this!  I wish you all the best tomorrow and I'm sure it will be great - that sounds like a fabulous plastic surgeon who pays close attention to detail  - excellent.  I survived my "pedicle division" and feel much lighter without that thing on my face!  Sadly, I still look pretty horrid right now with two swollen eyes and lovely bruising.  I think I was hoping to look more normal but that was silly I suppose.   Please keep us posted on how yours goes!

Warmes wishes

Penelope 

Hello Mackie!  I've been thinking of you and wow did it help on the day of surgery!   What a process.  Though it was great not to have general anesthetic it meant I got to hear and be aware of the whole thing....sort of interesting and horrifying at the same time.  Alas, I made it through as I am sure you have also.  I do hope you are recovering well and that you made it home and are now resting in your own bed.  I'm in bed now struggling to see clearly out of my swollen eyes - ugh....I hate this feeling.  I'm sending you and Mark our well wishes and positive healing vibes from across the ocean.   The pedicle is gone but I'm still looking rather lumpy and bruised....all things in time I suppose. 

Warmest wishes and care  xoox

Penelope