February/March 2009

The day finally arrived when I would do something about that little thing on my face I've been ignoring for so long.   I met the sweetest man in the world, I think.  His name is Dr. Bamford and he practices dermatology in the Duluth Clinic.  He said the site "looked suspicious" and would need a biopsy. 

I didn't go there prepared for any kind of procedure!  I just thought it would be to have a look and a discussion.  I couldn't go through with having the corner of my eye numbed by needles and a sample shaved from my skin!  I was given the option of coming back for that so that is what I did, two weeks later.

The biopsy

Two weeks later when I went in for the biopsy I was so nervous!  Not afraid of any outcome really,  but the thought of needles so close to my eye...in that sensitive area!  I so did not want to do this, I think at that point I would rather have another hip replacement than the needles near my eye!

The biopsy procedure, it turns out...was NOTHING!  Oh, I was so rolling my eyes at me for thinking myself into a big tizzy over the little thing that happened that I was embarrassed for myself!

That Dr. Bamford used the word "suspicious"  to me, meant it was probably nothing but we'll see to make sure.  Wrong again.

March 2009

This is what I recieved in the mail via registered mail, as the doctor office wasnot able to get ahold of me by phone.  I am rarely near my phone!

DIAGNOSIS:

Skin, inner corner of left eye, shave bsiopsy:  Carcinoma present, see comment.

COMMENT

The tumor appears to represent a squamous cell carcinoma.  The lesion extends to the deep and lateral margins of the biopsy.  A metaplastic basal cell carcinoma cannot be completely excluded.

Althought slowly growing, your lesion needs to be completely removed to aviod further damage to the eye and surrounding skin.