Fight Like a Girl, Pt. II

   If you haven't read part 1 you might want to read that first... Picking up where I left off... On May 24 I had day 1 of 2 of my excision procedure. I went in full of anxiety despite the valium I had taken prior. My sister works at the office, as I mentioned before, so luckily she was able to come back with me and take me home that day. The first day was not as bad as I expected, they referred to it as a "glorified biopsy". They used local anesthetic injections and removed what appeared to be a silver dollar size amount of skin from the melanoma site. That sample was rushed to a pathology lab to check for clear margins and other things. They cauterized the area and packed it with bandaging to last me until the next morning when part two of the procedure was to be performed. To be honest I was not in a great deal of pain that day, just nervous for day 2.
   My best friend took off work to come with me day 2 ((because of my husband's new work contact they wouldn't allow him the time off to come with me either day)). We got three and they told me all the margins from the area removed came back  clear, meaning they got all the melanoma from the site. Good news. I had taken 2 valium before this procedure, but being numbed with the local anesthetic is still no walk in the park. Its lots of multiple little behind sticks that burn!! They even played John Mayer on Pandora to help relax me. When she began to make the incision (they have to remove an additional perimeter of the area as precaution), part of the anesthesia didn't take so I actually felt the scalpel!!! Yes, it hurt. I cannot express that enough. So, more anesthetic sticks. So, forthe rest of the removal I got along fairly well. Then as she went to cauterize I started feeling the burn again, and that combined with the smell of burning flesh... No good. So, more anesthetic. Next was the stitches, I hadvs row of 7 and a 2nd row of 9 stitches that would dissolve in time. I also had to have a third row of stitches... The long continuous stitch kind, that would be taken out about a week later. Again, when she started the last line of stitches I was feeling things again, cue more anesthetic. But, I did make it through. Thank you Jesus.
     After a lot of bandaging and administering of after care information and scheduling of follow up appointments I was able to go home, cancer free!!
     Luckily I have an amazing best friend who was able to keep me company the rest of the day, because the road of recovery was just beginning.
((part 3 coming soon))

Be safe in the sun guys!! You'll be doing yourself a favor, believe me!!

XO,
J.