Cancer Bites

Chad had a sore on his lip that wasn't healing. In my defense, as I'm supposed to be aware of and watching for these things, he has had an inch of growth curling around his lip for 6+ months and half an inch for a year before that! So, when he showed me this spot last week I admit I gasped a little. And quickly ordered him in to my office for a biopsy. Apparently he has no idea what I do for work because when I was getting ready for the biopsy he was surprised to learn I was actually going to numb him up. When I told him, "we'll take a small piece off the surface" he interpreted this to mean... I'm not sure what. LOL. But he was very brave and I didn't even have to hold his hand. Well results came back on yesterday and it was a small skin cancer called a basal cell carcinoma so I contacted my boss.  I have connections. And Dr Sewell was so gracious to get him in the very next day for his lip job AKA MOHS surgery.

Here is the very talented Sewell taking stage 1. He offered to let me assist in closure but I chose to play spouse instead. And photographer. LOL. I got many pix along the way.

I'll save you the gory pictures as Lilia will be reading this and does NOT tolerate such things. She may have to rethink this "being a vet" dream of hers. That's another story for another time though. Chad's cancer was clear with stage 1 so no more had to come out. Thank goodness!

A little swollen after surgery so you can't truly appreciate the art but let me just tell you. This is a very difficult closure in a very tricky area. Cosmetically, you have many planes on the face and don't want to cross them in a closure or it can be disfiguring. So in order to close the hole and not pull down on the nose or up on the lip, an advancement flap was the technique chosen. More tissue was actually removed than just cancerous tissue in order to do it, but isn't it amazing the way everything pulled together?

I'm blessed to be working where I am. And now Chad for the umpteenth time can feel reassured that he is worth more to me alive than dead. LOL. He may joke about the opposite from time to time but do not be fooled. This man is THE man for me. He is a wonderfully devoted husband and father, very selfless, patient, and loving. He balances me and I could not ask for a more fitting partner to face all of life's ups and downs and turn arounds! Love you ChadHotMan 💗I'm glad you'll be around to face another day 😉