Mohs surgery recovery - day 9

I haven't said much this week. There isn't a lot of physical change from day 2 until today. The eyes turned a little puffy and black. Then they turned a great shade of grey. I halted my workouts for the week and a half the stitches were there so I wouldn't rip them out of my nose. The last couple of days I could tell that the stitches were ready to come out. That is exactly what the doctor said when he looked at me. "Oh yeah, those are ready to come out." He went to work removing the 30 stitches from my nose while I sat there smiling inside. The anticipation building. Wondering what I will look like with my new nose. Janice has told me that it looks more straight since the surgery. The slight bump is less pronounced. I can't wait to see it.

With the stitches removed, the doctor and nurse gazed at my nose in wonder at their handy work. Then the doctor cleaned my nose with a pad and applied some tincture of benzoin and three steri strips.

I'm not going to see my nose today.

In a few more days they should fall off and. I think it is slightly more attractive than the stitches were. The stitches were very irritating for the last couple of days. There is still a little swelling above the suture site. I think it is going down already since he removed the stitches. I know it will take a long time for the physical scars to heal.

I receive more and more questions about what happened to my nose. I am often amazed by the people who have personally been affected by, or know someone who has been affected by skin cancer. Some of them know what happened without even asking me. The bagger at the grocery store high fived me as I left after I explained that the surgeon was sure he had removed it all.

I find being able to tell my story helps me. I still have some feelings to sort out. Hopefully I will be able to do that soon. I'm hoping to talk about other things in the near future, with occasional nose updates and reminders about getting your skin checked by a professional.