My Skin Cancer Journey (The Rodent Ulcer)

I thought I would write this and show people the dangers and the terrible effects of skin cancer. Although this particular cancer is not life threatening. It can have a devastating effect on someone's life. 

It all started for me in 2013, I was 56. Quite young really and this sort of thing only happens to old people Right? WRONG!

 I noticed a little pearl like spot on my nose, which to be honest I had ignored for almost two years!

I finally decided to go to the doctor when I noticed this once little pearl spot was getting bigger and it was getting harder to disguise with make-up. 

So I made an appointment to see a GP convinced it was nothing to worry about.👩

When I walked into the GP's consulting room I was pretty sure I was wasting his time and  I would be in and out in no time, giving some cream and sent on my way. 

Unfortunately that wasn't the case. After looking at my nose closely , which meant getting up close and personal. The GP said  Erm . I stared at her thinking "Erm what does Erm mean"? I know now that it means (thinking)

She reached into her drawer and brought out a microscope with a light and examined my nose further. It seemed to go on forever! Total silence just looking at me from different angles and a bit too close for comfort if I'm totally honest.

 I was thinking "come on tell me it's just a spot under my skin and give me some drawing ointment or something". I mean seriously surely she had ill people to see!

That's when I heard the dreaded words CARCINOMA! Sorry what did you say I asked trying to sound as calm as I could. I'm pretty sure it's a Basel cell Carcinoma she replied.

I was stunned! All those years sunbathing lathering on the baby oil or sometimes no protection at all, just going for the burn to get that deep baked look.

It was fashionable back then in the 70's and 80's and was considered sexy and healthy to have a tan. Sun screen was almost  non-existent. SPF numbers hovered around 2, 4 and 8.Women typically went for the bronzed goddess look and I was no exception.

 Well, those days had finally come back to haunt me...............

I left the surgery with her words ringing in my ears. "I will make an URGENT referral she said and you should be seen within 2 weeks by the dermatologist".

Urgent, why urgent it's just a small spot can't possibly do too much damage I thought to myself. 

But apparently the rule for any suspected cancer is no longer than a 2 week wait to see a specialist and once confirmed you shouldn't have to wait more than 31 days from the decision to treat to the start of the treatment.

So I was seen by a specialist the following week at the dermatology Department at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital in Shropshire.

It was here that I had a biopsy or a punch biopsy to be more precise. A delightful procedure where they literally take a punch size piece of skin from the affected area. It's over in a second and I can only describe it as someone using a hole punch on your face. Not the most pleasant experience but over quite quickly. They then clean the area, stick a plaster on your nose and send you on your way to await the results. 

Within a couple of days it was confirmed I had indeed got a Basel Cell Carcinoma and it needed to be removed.

So what is a Basel Cell Carcinoma? Well it's a type of skin cancer that most often develops on areas of skin exposed to the sun. It's also the most common form of skin cancer and one of two major non- melanoma skin cancer stypes (the other is Squamous cell carcinoma)

Basel Cell Carcinoma is also called a Rodent Ulcer because apparently this type of cancer looks like a tiny rodent bite on the skin. 🐀

So the little rat had to go and my surgery date was set within 3 weeks of me going to see the GP. Good old NHS

To be continued................