The Best of The Worst

Last week my dermatologist’s assistant called to tell me that the official word came in. The thing on my forehead was/is cancer. I made an appointment to go in to discuss options. That appointment was yesterday.

As a quick aside, my daughter and I were asked to participate in a photo shoot for an gun article written by my friend Lynne. That was Monday night. I left there sick, sick, sick. In addition to tossing my cookies the entire drive home(did I mention I was the one driving?), I spent the next day and half in bed. I was feeling much better by my appointment yesterday, but not my usually chipper self.

When my doctor came in to see me she said…

“Make no mistake there is no good kind of cancer. Cancer is bad and unwanted in any form. Having said that, yours is very remediable”. As she said, I have the best of the worst. Cancer is the worst, but Basal-cell carcinoma is the best to have as already stated by other bloggers who have been there done that.

Due to the location she suggested we go with the cream. She is a big fan of the cream. My first thoughts were lets just cut the thing out. Intellectually, I understand this is not the end of the world, but I just hate having cancer in me, on me, growing…I want it out, but I trust her judgement. She did a very good job of explaining why she felt the cream was a good option and said if I wanted the surgery then that is what we would do.

So, for the next 2 months I will be applying this super cream to my forehead 3 times a week and then in 3 months I will go back to be checked. There is every reason to believe that this is basically a non issue and once dealt with should not cause any more concern.

I want to thank everyone who came here to offer me support and kind words. I realize that this is not that big of deal in the world of big deals, but in my world it was. Kindness is one of the greatest gifts one can give. Truly, thank you!!

49 thoughts on “The Best of The Worst

  1. Been there, done that. No T-shirt though! (I’ve one for the lymphoma, though!)
    I’ve you wanna chat, or Email, let me know.
    My surgery went swimmingly, as did Tam’s.
    This IS treatable and recoverable from.
    I promise!

    gfa

    • Thank you!! I am glad beyond words that both you and Tam beat this thing and are doing so well!!!!!!!!!!

  2. Had one on the right side of my nose. After Moh’s surgery and umpteen stitches the doc did such a good job you’d never know it was there. (Thank you, Dr. Cook, at MUSC in Charleston, SC!)

  3. Good news there Ms. A!!! As for it not being a big deal – any time you hear the “C” word, it’s a big deal!! BTDT, twice – it’s a big deal. But the big news is that results keep getting better so folks can actually say it’s not a big deal!

    I just had my 10-year anniversary. April 15, 2003 saw my prostate removed. Been cancer free every since. One more checkup and I’ll say my good-byes and thank yous to the doc for taking care of me. Yesterday was 30 years since my lovely wife’s last chemo treatment. And she’s still kicking my butt when I need it!

    It is a big deal, glad it was good news! Now, just take care of yourself and enjoy your summer!!

    • The only thing she mentioned was that if I have other cancerous spots on my face the cream will bring them out. Kind of freaky. She also said that just putting the cream on the spot that has already been diagnosed will take care of the other spots should they appear.

      My skin will turn bright red, but that means it is working. If the spot begins to get liquidy or leaky I need to cut back on the days I put the cream on. She did give me some other ointment in case it begins to get bothersome.

  4. Hang in there Lady, and listen to the doc, but make your OWN decisions. You know you have the support that you need.

  5. Prayers continue; stay strong and positive. You are a warrior and a victor.

  6. I had no idea there was such a thing as anti-cancer cream. That feels very futuristic to me!

    Glad it’s Basal Cell and not the other kind. You’re going to kick its ass so hard it will stay away from your entire family!

    Hugs and love to you!

    • Seriously…but it isn’t not really future worthy. I was kind of hoping for some bubbling or burning or something to let me know ti was working…nothing.

      In the future I want something a little more dramatic:)

  7. I’m so glad you fought to get in for a quick diagnosis, and I’m relieved that it’s a relatively minor cancer!

  8. I have used the cream on two occasions on two different sites. It worked like a charm on my arm and not at all on my leg. You can tell if it is working as it will get red and “worse” looking as your body sends the troops to the site to kill the invader. If it works, you will be pleased with the results. If it does not, the Mohs surgery is a successful second choice and, because of how it is done, virtually guarantees getting all the cancer on the first visit. Downside is that, in my case, it takes quite a while to heal. The best news is that it is basal cell. The bad news is that if you have grown one, you are very likely to do it again and should be religious about regular visits to see your dermatologist friends.
    You can deal with this and kick its ass! Piece o’ cake!

    • Thank you Butch.

      My dermatologist said once we get this one licked we will do a once over on the whole body and go fro there.

      Glad you are well!

  9. Glad you’ve got a plan. It’ll be over before you know it. And I’m with Erin, that cream sounds like living in the future

  10. Hang in there. You’re strong and will kick its tail. In case I haven’t said it before, eff cancer.

  11. I’m happy to hear your doctor is not playing around, and has made a plan of action to target this cancer. Keep an eye on it, if you see changes not discussed by your doctor or you have concerns see your doctor immediately.

  12. Still prayin, but at least its the best option of a crappy set of options! And like Erin said, you’re gonna kick this crap so hard it’ll never bother your family again!

      • For some reason, whenever I envision you kicking cancer’s arse, I flash back to all those old, classic Bugs Bunny cartoons. The baseball ones, specifically…in every one, there was always that one hit where Bugs winds up for like 30 seconds, unleashes, and wallops the ball out of the park. Sometimes even out of the atmosphere. But the ball always had this terrified look, and was screaming as it went. So when I picture you kicking cancer’s arse, I picture some nasty black blob screaming as it flies out into space, probably getting launched into the sun or some other galactic location where it can no longer bug another sentient life form.

        You go, Girl!

  13. So happy in a “well, it could have been worse” kind of way. You’re right, if there is a “good” cancer, you got it! So glad you get to use cream. I totally understand the “ewwww…get this thing offa me!” feeling. When I found out my cancer had gone to my lymph nodes, I was so pizzed off that I wanted to do 2 things: One, stop at the store and get totally smashed. Only problem is, I am such a lightweight drinker, it would have been a waste. Second, I wanted those damn lymph nodes, the ones which tested positive for cancer, and I wanted to stomp the living C outta them with my red anti-cancer boots! Neither happened, but I get where you’re coming from.

    Please keep us informed, try not to stress too much. I’m very happy for your “good” news!

  14. We all have cancer in our bodies. It’s our bodes that decide how to fight/reject it, along with the help that we decide upon. Use your own common sense judgement to make those decisions. Cream sounds like a plan for the time being but YOU are the one that choses!

  15. My wife’s grandfather had a skin cream after he had a cancerous spot removed off his cheek, but he wasn’t told to stay out of the sun and didn’t read the label warnings before spending the summer at cabin on a lake and the cream starting killing off all the skin on his face. My wife describes him as having had a zombie face. So make sure you read the warning label!

    • Thanks Kurt. I have done the research on the cream and I am following doctors orders:) Although, I kind of like zombies…:)

  16. Glad to hear it is at least the best of the worst. Amazing to hear of the anti-cancer crème. I had to research it after reading the post. Sounds a lot better than surgery.

    • Yep. My doctor is a big fan and she seems to think it will work. If not surgery, but there is every reason to believe this will work!!

  17. So sorry to hear this but you’ll beat it. You’re a tough Iowa girl!!! 🙂

  18. I’ve had a couple of basal cell carcinomas, and a melanoma. All surgically removed. No recurrence of the basal cell ones. The melanoma came off last year; too soon to know if it’s gone for good. PET scan didn’t show any spread. These things are not good, but they are treatable. Hang in there.

    • Very much appreciate your comment and encouragement!!! Also very glad to hear things are going well for you and all treatments have been successful!!!!!!!!

  19. You’ll whoop its butt!

    (I’d have said ‘You’ll cream it!’, but I wouldn’t stoop to making a pun that awful…)

  20. I am a few days behind but that is the best news that I have heard all day!!!

  21. Caught early, the cream is a good option. Skin cancers are common, but no less threatening than many other cancers. As Barney Fife would say (though you are probably too young to remember) “Ni it in the Bud!”

  22. I’m so glad it can be treated relatively easily. I’m glad you were able to come out to the range and have some fun before you got sick!

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