I am going to combine my 2 posts about this because I think it is important to be aware of this. I do the yearly preventative exams like mammogram, colonoscopy, Pap test etc. but I never thought to have my skin examined. We all need to make this part of our routine medical exams. When I DID wear sunscreen I never thought to of my hands. I am making this post privacy setting public and if you would like to share it go ahead. It might save someone elses skin. Here is the first original post; January 8, 2015 My Aussie friend Michelle Hutcheon posted photos of her hand showing she had skin cancer and I looked down at my right hand and though, OMG that looks like mine, BUT on a much smaller scale. I am so thankful she posted those because I called my dermatologist and went to see her today. She froze a pre cancer off of my face beside my nose and did a biopsy on the hard white spot on my right hand. She told me thank your friend. She then checked my whole body for anything unusual.....,(yah yah Tim Settles here is your chance! lol) She had previously frozen one off of my eyebrow and one above my upper lip. For months now I have had no definable knuckles on my right hand, and I am right handed. I cannot grip anything like a doorknob and turn it or twist my wrist, they pain is horrible. I went to my GP in November about my hand and she sent me for an xray and gave me a referral for a hand ortho doctor. The hospital gave me the xrays on a dvd and it looked ok to me,(yes I know I am not a doctor) and the report said no bone deformity and nothing jumped out at me as being abnormal where my knuckles are so I assumed it was arthritis and have put off going to the ortho. I dont remember if she told me when the results of the biopsy would be in but at that point I will know if I need surgery. I am to wear a #80 sunblock at all times now. * PLEASE WEAR SUNBLOCK* I am a sun lover and I work outside all summer and just started putting sunblock on my face this year because of the age spots. I wish I had a do over and could go back and save my skin, the tan wasnt worth it. Tomorrow I will also call and make an appointment with the ortho for my hand. I am sharing this because it might help someone like Michelles sharing helped me. I wish I had taken better photos of the before because you really cant see the growth on my hand very well. Jerry & I both going through this at the same time is weird. He just had 3 basal cell carcinomas removed and a melanoma cut out of his shoulder. We will take better care of our skin now. **WEAR SUNBLOCK** ---------- This post is from today; The doctor called me with the results of my biopsy. I have squamous cell carcinoma on my right hand. I am having the EDC procedure done on Thursday February 19. This is what my hand looks like today while it is healing from the biopsy. I have an appointment tomorrow with an ortho in Independence Ohio and if he tells me the pain and swelling is not a bone problem then I will wonder until the day of my surgery if its all cancer under there. I am not looking for pity I know every one of you will pray and hope for the best possible outcome, I want you to share this lesson I have learned. Love, Kathy Spahn Valentz Miller A BIG hug and kiss to you Michelle Hutcheon !
Posted on: Thu, 15 Jan 2015 01:57:05 +0000