Not much to report today. Just two things.
Firstly, last Wednesday I visited the dermatology department at The Royal Hallamshire Hospital. The earlier biopsy had produced the unsurprising conclusion that the red thing on my back is/was a basal cell skin cancer. There were two ways in which I could proceed. Either have special cream applied to the area every night for six weeks or go for something called cryotherapy. As I can't even reach the red thing, I couldn't have applied the cancer killing cream myself.
Logically, I picked the cryotherapy option whereupon the beautiful Asian doctor targeted my back with two long blasts of liquid nitrogen from a stainless steel canister. It was a little uncomfortable but not at all painful for a rough tough Yorkshireman like me. Did I have any questions? Yes. I wanted to know if the wound would bleed. She assured me it wouldn't.
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| Plenty of zoom to get this long distance view of the city centre |
However, the wound has indeed leaked as I feared - a mixture of blood and clear plasma as my body attempts its natural healing process. Shirts and sheets have been sullied by the leakage but I think it's gradually getting better. Sorry there are no photographs of the staining to share! I have to return to the hospital in May to check that all is well.
Secondly, I managed to get out into the nearby countryside for a short walk yesterday afternoon before watching England thrash Italy in the Six Nations rugby international via our television set. Are you reading this post Maria in Verona? The pictures that accompany this post were all taken on the walk - just a five minute drive from this luxury mansion... castle, hovel.
Pleased to hear that the nasty has been blasted off.
ReplyDeleteWhat was the significance of the 'Harrop lane' photo? am I missing something?
I did know a boy once whose name was Harrop but I don't think that's anything to do with your photo, lol
Briony
x
No particular significance Briony - just that I liked the way the sun was shining on that sign and beyond it you can see Fulwood Old Hall in the middle distance. Have you told Tom about Harrop?
DeleteI hope your treatment is a success if a little messy. How fortunate we are to live in this time and place,as regards medical matters.
ReplyDeleteI myself ran the whole gamut of surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy a few years ago but am here to tell the tale.
My other famous Yorkshire writer (besides yourself, of course) put it perfectly, "I hope to be a long term member,of the exclusive aristocracy of those who have survived cancer.
Thankfully, it's a growing aristocracy, and one day, I'm sure such survival will be commonplace and hardly worth mentioning"
I hope your hovel is well headed. We are forecast snow tomorrow, in northern England.
Best wishes.
You are right about our good fortune. Two or three things have happened to me that in previous times would have resulted in death. Thank heavens for the NHS!
DeleteI should have said the writer is Alan Bennett but you'd probably guessed!
DeleteOh yes - Alan Bennett. As a writer he is a giant and I am little more than a tiny pixie.
DeleteI'm confused as to why my husband had to have his basal cell carcinoma cut out when there are other options. No one suggested cream or cryotherapy! It would be much easier, I think.
ReplyDeleteThere are different types of basal cell carcinoma. Some - like mine - are quite superficial and after this cryotherapy it shouldn't come back. Maybe Gregg's carcinoma was deeper or more aggressive.
DeleteJennifer YP is correct. I've had both kinds and one was quite deep and needed surgery whereas the others have been eliminated with cream and with cryotherapy.
DeleteSorry about the leaky cancer, but thank goodness it's gone. (Or will soon be gone.) I think you had more sun than we did yesterday!
ReplyDeleteYorkshire is England's Florida!
DeleteLol! 😂
DeleteSouth Carolina is England's Norfolk!
DeleteYorkshire is what?? 🤥👎😴
DeleteLeicestershire is England's Gobi Desert.
DeleteWell, YP, I hope that that's the end of that.
ReplyDeleteSo do I but I am a realist.
DeleteGlad to know you got rid of the red thing on your back. Didn't the beautiful doctor put something on it to stop leakage?
ReplyDeleteO.K. has had several such things removed on his back, but it was always cut out or "shaved" off, as they called it, and needed some stitching. The scars he has on his back look rather impressive. I guess he could tell stories of saving me from a shark attack or something, and show the scars.
Once again, you had great weather for your walk. We weren't so lucky on the weekend and spent more time indoors than usual.
Perhaps OK can explain the scars by telling folk he has a very wild girlfriend in Ludwigsburg!
DeleteWere you not allowed to wear a dressing on the site? Was it painful after the initial removal? I don't like the thought of cryotherapy but then again I don't like the thought of a scalpel either! I hope that's the end of your misbehaving skin cells. And what a shame you had no pictures of it! Just kidding, my knees are already weak enough thinking of freezing or surgery.
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful countryside - so green and rolling. It reminds me of the region I live in, except right now everything here is gray or brown or white. We won't see green until late April.
For some strange reason they didn't want to put a dressing on my ice-blasted wound. Trouble is when I sit in a chair or lie in bed the wound seems to receive a lot of direct pressure. Shirley has changed our sheets three times but one night she put a dressing on the thing. Sorry and surprised you won't see green till April!
DeleteI remove my skin cancers with bloodroot salve. The count is up to about 7 now. So much for the dermatologist who told me my skin wasn't the type to get cancers.
ReplyDeleteThey say a slice of eggplant, skin up, makes a very good non-stick dressing.
Blood root salve? I checked the yellow pages but we don't have any witches living in our neighbourhood. I am sorry to hear that skin cancer came to visit you too Kylie.
DeleteIt's not been a big deal so far, just part of being a fair skinned Australian!
DeleteI've had repeated blasts with that blasted nitrogen thing on my forehead. Not a good place for it, believe me.
ReplyDeleteYeah - forehead skin is so thin isn't it? Must be a devil to heal Mr C.
DeleteI wish you a complete and rapid recovery. I know the Yorkshire men are tough. So are the women. I married one!!!
ReplyDeleteIn selecting a Yorkshire lass you revealed that you are a man of discerning good taste. It also helped that she was a nurse so that she could look after you when you were ill or injured while ice-skating!
DeleteSuch an awkward area for one to tend to themselves. I'd be up the proverbial creek if it were me in your situation.
ReplyDeleteI hope it clears up rapidly and come May, you get a positive report. Take care, Yorkie. :)
I have found a position in our bathroom where I can at least see the thing when I open the bathroom cabinet door and look in the opposite mirror but I can't reach back to touch it. I appreciate your kind wishes.
DeleteGlad you had it removed and got it ticked off your list.
ReplyDeleteYes, we watched the rugby on Sunday. We were out for a walk and my husband wanted to get back on time to watch itb but it was better if we'd stayed out. Well done England!
We'll beat you next time! :)
Greetings Maria x
Italy played well. It was only in the last fifteen minutes that England really got on top. I hope Italy manage to beat Scotland when they play them. Wales, France or Ireland may prove too difficult but Italy are getting better.
DeleteHope you’re ok yorkie.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind wishes Terry.
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