Skin cancer on my eyelid

[Windymoo]

Hi I’m feeling pretty angry with my GP! Despite my insistent assertive concerns with a lump on my right eye ‘that I also saw the Gp for last years” he wouldn’t see me. He said that it was probably just a cyst! I paid private and had my thoughts confirmed that it is skin cancer. It’s going to cost me £595 next week to have it removed as well as the £150 consultation fee I had on Saturday. Thing is I’m scared. It’s a dermatologist I’m seeing and not sure if I’d be better off having it removed by an optometrist. Plus I shouldn’t have to pay for this.

[Hidden]

I’m so sorry for what you’ve been through. I had similar issue initially with my lip. What kind of cancer did the private dermatologist say you had? If it’s a slow acting one then time is on your side but if it’s SCC or Melanoma I think I’d want to know a lot more about the clinician performing this surgery before agreeing to it. So getting referred for an urgent second opinion from your wretched GP would be the way I’d go.

[Windymoo in reply to Hidden]

Thank you I did just that. My GP stepped up and dealt with it really well thankfully and referred me to a plastic surgeon who specializes in face cancer. He said it’s a basal cell carcinoma which is a safe cancer for want of a better word and he’s going to slice it off for a biopsy. Once confirmed I will need a skin graft on my eye lid to remove the skin which will have a 6mm diameter, quite a big chunk for an eyelid. So I was right in thinking simple stitching it together would have made me look terrible. I feel more confident now that although it’s not going to be nice I am going to be getting good treatment x

[Hidden in reply to Windymoo]

That’s great well done I’m really pleased for you. I hope it goes really well. I have to phone dermatology today and do the same for my lip which I think will also need surgery. Mine is squamous cell so not so good - especially on the lip! X

[Windymoo in reply to Hidden]

Isn’t it scary especially when it’s on your face. Hope you get it removed ok, it can’t be nice being on your lip. Doesn’t help with everything’s moving so slowly with this covid. It’s just an additional worry x

[Hidden in reply to Windymoo]

Absolutely on all fronts! 🥴🤗

[Windymoo in reply to Hidden]

Hi have you managed to see the dermatologist yet?

[Natsteveo]

How have you been

[Windymoo in reply to Natsteveo]

Going for biopsy today 😬

[Hidden in reply to Windymoo]

Sorry yes I saw her nearly 2 weeks ago now. She was great as always but explained that with actinic keratosis/ Cheilitis it’s only active at cellular level so can’t be removed surgically. She confirmed that because it’s on my lip they take a more aggressive approach as if it turns into squamous cell carcinoma then more likely to become very invasive than other body parts as such a vascular area. Lip and ears are the worst for rapid spread apparently.

So I will need chemo cream treatment forever to prevent it turning Sqc. Now healing after a week of double applications ie twice daily to lip. She said 4 days but I foolishly decided on 7 to get more extreme response as the more it reacts the more cells there are and more important cream is. Then recalled that more florid it becomes more lips glue together at night resulting in blood bath when I wake and open them. Nasty stuff. Now 2 weeks off to heal and then apply again for 4 days and so on until no response. Then hopefully 6 months off! She will phone me in early December.

Hope your biopsy goes well as possible! Xx

[Windymoo in reply to Hidden]

Awwwch! Sounds dreadful what a worry! Are you likely to get it in any other sights?

[Hidden in reply to Windymoo]

Not if I use high spf sun cream daily all year (very fair skinned) round and keep to hats etc. She says I have to use this ugh stuff to stop it turning into invasive cancer for rest of life. It is pretty depressing prospect but squamous can be a super invasive cancer so I’m lucky she caught it as it was teetering on becoming cancer when I first saw her a few years ago. She is one of top skin cancer professors in Uk and also oversees my care for rare connective tissue diseases so I’m very lucky to have her! X

[Windymoo in reply to Hidden]

Yes it’s reassuring when you get someone you know you can trust. Pretty rubbish having skin cancer though there’s nothing finer than the sun on your face to make you feel good 😞 xx take care

[Hidden in reply to Windymoo]

Hey my derm prof says you can still enjoy sun on face just use factor 50 first!😎

I have to avoid sun because of Lupus- like and sun avoidance due to systemic autoimmune diseases is properly hard on the soul😔😎

Different on eyelid of course but some dermatologists won’t even bother removing basal cell C’s as say they it’s more important to get vitamin D and good for mental wellbeing. They say Bcc are just a sign of people getting lots of healthy fresh air and vit D! Xx

[Windymoo in reply to Hidden]

Yes the sun is the best thing for mental health for sure.... think this lock down during winter is going to send a lot of us into some sort of depressive state xx

[Hidden in reply to Windymoo]

Well I guess people like me with chronic conditions are used it being quite homebound and juggling with secondary mental health issues. And I’m lucky I have dogs so have to get out with them daily whatever the weather - which is harder when shielding - but possible as I’m near to rural places. I do worry about my own newly graduated young people and generations to come. It’s going to be a very hard winter though for most people especially the shielding, people in the arts, the young and the hospitality businesses though. Hope your biopsy goes well and isn’t too sore after. 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻X

[Natsteveo in reply to Windymoo]

Well I've just been diagnosed with a very small area of bcc near my temple in my scalp had a biopsy by excision at my doctors and dermatologist sent me back to my drs to have the rest removed hopefully that should solve it.but not gonna lie this has scares the crap outta me xxx

[Windymoo in reply to Natsteveo]

It is scary Natzsteveo I know I feel the same but I’ve researched it and spoke to the skin surgeon who has reassured me that it is the safest cancer to get. For want of a better word. Very slow growing and so long as they remove it with a certain amount of skin tissue from around it once removed shouldn’t come back. If not enough tissue from around is removed and it was to come back it would be in the same place and you would see it reappear and then get it done properly. The only time the bcc can be dangerous is if you’ve had it many years and not had it removed but again it’s not nearly as invasive as other cancers xx

[Natsteveo in reply to Windymoo]

Yes I’ve done loads of research on it too I’ve had it about 18 months to 2 years but it only became visible because I went blonde I’ve always been dark haired so changed to blonde then about like I say 18 months ago I noticed it and it wouldn’t heal so kept going drs “oh it’s nothing to worry about “ and I just kept pushing and thank god it did xx

[Windymoo in reply to Natsteveo]

Some GP’s haven’t been pulling their weight at all. It’s a sad straight of affairs when you feel like you have to fight for primary care! This is why A&E get overwhelmed when your up against being dismissed from your GP a lot of ppl go there. Glad you got it sorted eventually but it does make you loose faith and trust doesn’t it xx

[SkcinHQ Partner in reply to Windymoo]

Hi there,

Here at Skcin we are so sorry to hear you have been through this. I myself had two Malignant melanomas 5 years ago and several operations. Please head over to our website skcin.org/ or find us on Social media. We always have lots of helpful information on all types of skin cancer. I hope all goes well for you. Thanks Christina

[Windymoo in reply to SkcinHQ]

Thank you

[Natsteveo in reply to Windymoo]

100% it does its like you have to go diagnosis yourself isnt it they aint got a care in the world nowadays and they've had a pay rise aswell

I'm glad I have too if it wasn't for me having health anxiety aswell I dont think I would of even noticed it..and now im looking at people for moles like in a queue or sat near me my husband and daughter im always checking g them ive got a nephew who's got quite a few on his face I keep telling him to get them checked and he won't I told him it may be nithi g but better to get looked at xx

[Windymoo in reply to Natsteveo]

I know it didn’t matter what I did or said I was just dismissed that’s why I paid private there was nothing else I could do. Trust your instinct and take care of your own health these days xx