Cliff jumper, South Point, Na'alehu, Big Island - Monday, March 10, 2025

Cliff jumper, South Point, Na'alehu, Big Island - Monday, March 10, 2025
Cliff jumper, South Point, Na'alehu, Big Island - Monday, March 10, 2025
Showing posts with label skin cancer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label skin cancer. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 3, 2016

Bob's Home, More Surgery Required - Wed., Aug. 3, 2016

This morning Bob went to his Mohs surgeon who performed Mohs skin cancer removal surgery in the office. When the surgery was done, samples of the edges of the excision were sent to the lab to see if all the cancer cells has been removed. They had not.

His Mohs surgeon did a second surgery in the office to remove as much of the basal cell cancer as he could, but the Mohs surgeon cannot go deep on neck surgeries due to the nerves, muscles and arteries that are there.

What his Mohs surgeon did find is that the basal cell cancer is entwined around a muscle. This is going to require a neck surgeon and a plastic surgeon. Bob is now waiting to hear from the other two surgeons who are going to consult and let him know when they can do the surgery. It was originally scheduled with the plastic surgeon for tomorrow, but because this needs more complicated surgery, it looks like Bob will have to wait. It all depends on what the other two doctors decide and what their schedules look like.

The risk with the deeper surgery is that they might have to take part of a nerve which would cause some facial numbness or pins-and-needles sensations, or they may have to take part of a muscle which could cause problems with shoulder shrugging.

Right now, this is what Bob's neck looks like.


Bob is tired, but we went to lunch at Olive Garden because he hadn't had anything to eat since last night. Now he's just exhausted and wants to sleep.

Thank you to everyone who sent love, hugs and prayers. We appreciate it. As soon as we know more, we'll update everyone.


Surgery for Bob - Wed., Aug. 3, 2016

Caution: Graphic photo below.

On February 24, 2015, Bob had Mohs surgery on his neck to remove a large basal cell carcinoma (the non-malignant kind). The cancer was deep into his neck and was close to a nerve that could affect the feeling in his face.

Because it was a large wound, he had to have plastic surgery to close it up on March 11, 2015.  
Bob's scar from plastic surgery reconstruction
For months after that surgery, he had pins-and-needles sensation on the lower left side of his face. The scar healed up nicely and you could barely see where he had the surgery.

Fast forward to early 2016. Bob started feeling a hard lump in the exact same place he had his last basal cell carcinoma removed. When he went to his dermatologist in June 2016, they did a biopsy and found the basal cell carcinoma had returned.

Today is the day Bob is going in for outpatient repeat Mohs surgery in the dermatologist's office. The lump that needs to be removed is the size of a quarter. We're hoping this hasn't gone down into the nerve and that they will be able to remove it all.

If the wound is large, he will have to go back in for another plastic surgery reconstruction. We'll keep you posted.