1st I have to start by saying that I was supposed to post this blog last night. I decided to have a glass of wine before I put the finishing touches on it and well, drank 3/4 of the bottle and kind of forgot. Oops! So below is the post from last night...
WARNING, THIS POST HAS SOME GRAPHIC PHOTOS
Today is somewhat of an anniversary for me. One year ago today I had an aggressive but benign tumor removed from my left cheek. I've always been a pretty healthy person. Beyond getting bronchitis every winter when I was a smoker, I hardly ever get sick.
Anyways, it all started with this little bump on my cheek. I thought it was a zit or an ingrown hair. It just never came to a head. I really didn't pay too much attention to it. After about a year it started to really stand out. My step brother kept insisting that I go get it checked out by a doctor. The problem is, I didn't have one. I had a gyno and a dentist. I just didn't want to deal with it.
After about a year and a half the bump started to become extremely painful. I can handle pain. I've gone through childbirth 2x without any meds. But this shit hurt! Anyways to make a long story short (well shorter) I ended up at a great dermatologist. They suggested I get the bump biopsied. Then when those results came in, they wanted a larger piece of it. Below are the pics of my second biopsy.
I'm not crying btw, they hit a nerve and my eye wouldnt close or stop watering
When these results came back, I was told that I had an extremely rare tumor. I was lucky number 34. Only 33 other people had ever had this type of tumor. It was not cancerous, but very aggressive. It was very large and taken over half my cheek. I was told that it had to be removed right away. They were worried that the tumor had wrapped itself around my facial nerves and that I was going to suffer facial paralysis.
After seeing a few specialists and a 2nd and 3rd opinion, surgery was scheduled for 2/28/11. I had completely mentally prepared myself for losing all movement, feeling, and control of the left side of my face.
I had 2 surgeries that day. One to remove the tumor ( i was awake the whole time) and then one to reconstruct my cheek. The weird part was that after the first surgery Brion had to drive me to the 2nd surgery. (i forgot to mention that Shelby Lynn was 3 months old and I was still breastfeeding. I pumped in the car from one surgery to the other with a huge hole in my face)
Below are the pics of my face after the 1st surgery
Above is the giant whole. I was within 1mm of the nerves
Below is me having a little fun with the numbing meds
Above was taken when I got home from the hospital
Below is a few days later
Above is 10 days later after getting the stitches out
Below is month after surgery
Above is 2 months after
Below is 4 months after
and finally this is what it looks like today! (2/28/12) I couldn't be any happier. I'm truly blessed. I still have a small dent in my face and its sore at times, but dude I am so lucky!!!! Doctors are awesome!!!! :)
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