It's Gone!

Steve got home a short time ago and is doing well. It took 3 sessions to remove all of the cancer cells, going down to the cartilage and muscle.  However, they were able to close with stitches instead of a graft so there should be minimal scarring.  He will probably start swelling soon and may develop "raccoon eyes."  He's taken some Tylenol and is sleeping now.  We are so very grateful that everything went as well as it did, he was apparently only one session away from needing a graft.  Thank you to everyone for your prayers!

Surgery

Steve is having his Mohs surgery this morning.  Depending on how deep the cancer is, the procedure could take several hours.  There will be lots of waiting around between sessions on his part, 45 minutes or more while they determine where, exactly, there are still cancer cells to be removed.  We are praying that it is small. I will post an update once his surgery is over and we have the final results.

A Bump in the Road

A little over a week ago Steve went to a dermatologist to have a bump removed from his nose. Yesterday we received a call from the doctors office informing us that the results had come back as basal-cell carcinoma, the most common type of skin cancer.

He has surgery scheduled for the end of this month.  He will be receiving Mohs Micrographic surgery, the most effective treatment for basal-cell cancer. There's a very informative video about this treatment on the ACMS (American College of Mohs Surgery) website.  His doctor actually established the Mohs surgery program at Tulane University, serving as it's director for almost a decade.

We will keep everyone posted on his situation and are hoping for the best.  In the mean time, we ask for your prayers, as we pray to the Lord for healing and strength, and pray to St. Peregrine, the patron saint of cancer, for his intercession.