France in Focus

OH has had a small lesion on the side of his nose for a couple of years.
We hadn’t done anything about it because our MT was overrun with patients - medical desert.
Finally asked him about it before Xmas and he immediately wrote a letter and said it had to come off. Dermatologist ? Oh no he said that’ll take too long so he gave me the name of an ORL at the Clinique.
I sent a photo and the letter by email and got an appointment on a Saturday morning just before Xmas.
The surgeon was very pleasant spoke English, said it had to come off and said he had a slot in mid jan.
So off we trot for the excision. All very efficient although it was bigger than he had thought so the scar was quite impressive.
Went home and waited for the histology results…..nothing. I wrote to the secretaries twice… nothing.
As it happened, I had an appointment with my oncologue this week and I mentioned this to her and that we hadn’t heard anything. She was straight on it and wrote him an email.
This evening, he rang me and told us that he had got all the cancer out and that there was nothing left to do. What a relief! But if I hadn’t got a super onco I don’t know when anyone was going to tell us the results as our MT is away in the Pacific for a long break.

snap.
took a year for me from nose pimple to excavation. now the joke’s getting a bit stale about “ you should see the other bloke and he had knife” fortunately the local doc took an interest in why there was no result from the test and he called later the same evening to give the all clear (for now, but age is not a great help). from now on it’s 50+ sun cream and a ten gallon hat.

snap. sun cream and a choice of hats!

Good to see you back, Liz!

Well it never rains but it pours. OH also had a small uneven mole on the indise of his leg just below the knee. It appeared some months ago. Didn’t think anything of it but after the facial cancer it got us thinking so off to the doc and he referred us to a surgeon late January. 1 month wait for an appointment but he took 1 look and excised it there and then! It turned out to be a malignant melanoma and we have been waiting to hear if further treatment is required. Our doc said he’d let us know so when I got a call from the surgeons secretary on Thursday alarm bells started ringing. We saw him yesterday morning and he told us that all melanoma diagnoses get assessed by a panel and they had asked that a wider excision be done. Ok we said when. Oh now he said and sent OH off with his assistant. ( No time to think is a good thing) I am so impressed with this speed. OH is a bit shellshocked but I’m hopeful it’s sorted now. The surgeon told us it is very unusual to get a malignant melanoma where it was especially as OH is not a great short wearer.

I can only repeat that it is well worth getting that surprise mole checked by your MT!

Wow, that was a 'no time to think' moment. I'm glad your OH is getting good care. I wish him a quick recovery. I'd be shell shocked too.

It's scary but that was great to have had such swift action taken, Headers. Apparently it can happen years after exposure to the sun : my father spent a lot of time working in the far east when I was a child. It was years later that he was diagnosed with skin cancer - fortunately it was dealt with quickly.