Mohs surgery – diagnosed Melanoma in situ, early lesion

 I had a silver dollar sized stage I splotch on my forehead. Somehow Dr. Jessica Fewkes, of MGH, got it off with MOHS and two subsequent surgeries, and threw it into a pail. I think she had to use a carpet layer knee kicker to get the skin to close up after she got it out. She also sings beautiful arias as she does a running stitch closure. Now I have no wrinkles on my left forehead, and can't cock the left eyebrow and I love it. I think it was pretty deep because the MOHS is like an open mining pit with concentric circles getting deeper as it goes down. She started cutting about an inch away from the splotch and left me with no discernible scar unless one looks very closely. 

Normally they would just leave it alone for a fellow with stage IV melanoma in the lungs, but my Taflinar and Mekinist seems to have killed the numerous tumors, so they had to write up a new protocol for all us who remain undead and have new stage I melanoma appear. I am in my fourth year as a warrior and it feels grand. The MOHS just takes a bit longer than normal surgeries as they put the tissue under the scope during the operation, and come back for more when it is indicated. All these little cuts are nothing compared to the lung biopsy I had in December of 2010 that was my ticket into the wonderful GSK combo trial that I am so proud of.

I insist on taking out anything new that appears because I feel like Mark Twain's cat that sat on a hot stove lid, and then wouldn't  even sit on a cold one. Don't worry if they have to trim it up a bit more as it is impossible to get the real results during the actual MOHS, just a probable indication that they got it all. Just stay on the fight, and load your backpack with vigilance, hope and gratitude. Fear, doubt, and worry only saps your strength, and then it is harder to keep your spirit which is an important, maybe essential, part of our recovery.

 I had a silver dollar sized stage I splotch on my forehead. Somehow Dr. Jessica Fewkes, of MGH, got it off with MOHS and two subsequent surgeries, and threw it into a pail. I think she had to use a carpet layer knee kicker to get the skin to close up after she got it out. She also sings beautiful arias as she does a running stitch closure. Now I have no wrinkles on my left forehead, and can't cock the left eyebrow and I love it. I think it was pretty deep because the MOHS is like an open mining pit with concentric circles getting deeper as it goes down. She started cutting about an inch away from the splotch and left me with no discernible scar unless one looks very closely. 

Normally they would just leave it alone for a fellow with stage IV melanoma in the lungs, but my Taflinar and Mekinist seems to have killed the numerous tumors, so they had to write up a new protocol for all us who remain undead and have new stage I melanoma appear. I am in my fourth year as a warrior and it feels grand. The MOHS just takes a bit longer than normal surgeries as they put the tissue under the scope during the operation, and come back for more when it is indicated. All these little cuts are nothing compared to the lung biopsy I had in December of 2010 that was my ticket into the wonderful GSK combo trial that I am so proud of.

I insist on taking out anything new that appears because I feel like Mark Twain's cat that sat on a hot stove lid, and then wouldn't  even sit on a cold one. Don't worry if they have to trim it up a bit more as it is impossible to get the real results during the actual MOHS, just a probable indication that they got it all. Just stay on the fight, and load your backpack with vigilance, hope and gratitude. Fear, doubt, and worry only saps your strength, and then it is harder to keep your spirit which is an important, maybe essential, part of our recovery.

 I had a silver dollar sized stage I splotch on my forehead. Somehow Dr. Jessica Fewkes, of MGH, got it off with MOHS and two subsequent surgeries, and threw it into a pail. I think she had to use a carpet layer knee kicker to get the skin to close up after she got it out. She also sings beautiful arias as she does a running stitch closure. Now I have no wrinkles on my left forehead, and can't cock the left eyebrow and I love it. I think it was pretty deep because the MOHS is like an open mining pit with concentric circles getting deeper as it goes down. She started cutting about an inch away from the splotch and left me with no discernible scar unless one looks very closely. 

Normally they would just leave it alone for a fellow with stage IV melanoma in the lungs, but my Taflinar and Mekinist seems to have killed the numerous tumors, so they had to write up a new protocol for all us who remain undead and have new stage I melanoma appear. I am in my fourth year as a warrior and it feels grand. The MOHS just takes a bit longer than normal surgeries as they put the tissue under the scope during the operation, and come back for more when it is indicated. All these little cuts are nothing compared to the lung biopsy I had in December of 2010 that was my ticket into the wonderful GSK combo trial that I am so proud of.

I insist on taking out anything new that appears because I feel like Mark Twain's cat that sat on a hot stove lid, and then wouldn't  even sit on a cold one. Don't worry if they have to trim it up a bit more as it is impossible to get the real results during the actual MOHS, just a probable indication that they got it all. Just stay on the fight, and load your backpack with vigilance, hope and gratitude. Fear, doubt, and worry only saps your strength, and then it is harder to keep your spirit which is an important, maybe essential, part of our recovery.

 I had a silver dollar sized stage I splotch on my forehead. Somehow Dr. Jessica Fewkes, of MGH, got it off with MOHS and two subsequent surgeries, and threw it into a pail. I think she had to use a carpet layer knee kicker to get the skin to close up after she got it out. She also sings beautiful arias as she does a running stitch closure. Now I have no wrinkles on my left forehead, and can't cock the left eyebrow and I love it. I think it was pretty deep because the MOHS is like an open mining pit with concentric circles getting deeper as it goes down. She started cutting about an inch away from the splotch and left me with no discernible scar unless one looks very closely. 

Normally they would just leave it alone for a fellow with stage IV melanoma in the lungs, but my Taflinar and Mekinist seems to have killed the numerous tumors, so they had to write up a new protocol for all us who remain undead and have new stage I melanoma appear. I am in my fourth year as a warrior and it feels grand. The MOHS just takes a bit longer than normal surgeries as they put the tissue under the scope during the operation, and come back for more when it is indicated. All these little cuts are nothing compared to the lung biopsy I had in December of 2010 that was my ticket into the wonderful GSK combo trial that I am so proud of.

I insist on taking out anything new that appears because I feel like Mark Twain's cat that sat on a hot stove lid, and then wouldn't  even sit on a cold one. Don't worry if they have to trim it up a bit more as it is impossible to get the real results during the actual MOHS, just a probable indication that they got it all. Just stay on the fight, and load your backpack with vigilance, hope and gratitude. Fear, doubt, and worry only saps your strength, and then it is harder to keep your spirit which is an important, maybe essential, part of our recovery.

 I had a silver dollar sized stage I splotch on my forehead. Somehow Dr. Jessica Fewkes, of MGH, got it off with MOHS and two subsequent surgeries, and threw it into a pail. I think she had to use a carpet layer knee kicker to get the skin to close up after she got it out. She also sings beautiful arias as she does a running stitch closure. Now I have no wrinkles on my left forehead, and can't cock the left eyebrow and I love it. I think it was pretty deep because the MOHS is like an open mining pit with concentric circles getting deeper as it goes down. She started cutting about an inch away from the splotch and left me with no discernible scar unless one looks very closely. 

Normally they would just leave it alone for a fellow with stage IV melanoma in the lungs, but my Taflinar and Mekinist seems to have killed the numerous tumors, so they had to write up a new protocol for all us who remain undead and have new stage I melanoma appear. I am in my fourth year as a warrior and it feels grand. The MOHS just takes a bit longer than normal surgeries as they put the tissue under the scope during the operation, and come back for more when it is indicated. All these little cuts are nothing compared to the lung biopsy I had in December of 2010 that was my ticket into the wonderful GSK combo trial that I am so proud of.

I insist on taking out anything new that appears because I feel like Mark Twain's cat that sat on a hot stove lid, and then wouldn't  even sit on a cold one. Don't worry if they have to trim it up a bit more as it is impossible to get the real results during the actual MOHS, just a probable indication that they got it all. Just stay on the fight, and load your backpack with vigilance, hope and gratitude. Fear, doubt, and worry only saps your strength, and then it is harder to keep your spirit which is an important, maybe essential, part of our recovery.

 I had a silver dollar sized stage I splotch on my forehead. Somehow Dr. Jessica Fewkes, of MGH, got it off with MOHS and two subsequent surgeries, and threw it into a pail. I think she had to use a carpet layer knee kicker to get the skin to close up after she got it out. She also sings beautiful arias as she does a running stitch closure. Now I have no wrinkles on my left forehead, and can't cock the left eyebrow and I love it. I think it was pretty deep because the MOHS is like an open mining pit with concentric circles getting deeper as it goes down. She started cutting about an inch away from the splotch and left me with no discernible scar unless one looks very closely. 

Normally they would just leave it alone for a fellow with stage IV melanoma in the lungs, but my Taflinar and Mekinist seems to have killed the numerous tumors, so they had to write up a new protocol for all us who remain undead and have new stage I melanoma appear. I am in my fourth year as a warrior and it feels grand. The MOHS just takes a bit longer than normal surgeries as they put the tissue under the scope during the operation, and come back for more when it is indicated. All these little cuts are nothing compared to the lung biopsy I had in December of 2010 that was my ticket into the wonderful GSK combo trial that I am so proud of.

I insist on taking out anything new that appears because I feel like Mark Twain's cat that sat on a hot stove lid, and then wouldn't  even sit on a cold one. Don't worry if they have to trim it up a bit more as it is impossible to get the real results during the actual MOHS, just a probable indication that they got it all. Just stay on the fight, and load your backpack with vigilance, hope and gratitude. Fear, doubt, and worry only saps your strength, and then it is harder to keep your spirit which is an important, maybe essential, part of our recovery.

First, Mohs isn't done all that often for melanoma but I'm sure the reason they used it was to save as much tissue as possible.  Second, all wide excisions (whether Mohs or excisional) go down to the muscle fascia – they take all the skin and subcutaneous fat.  That's standard procedure.  Was your lesion Lentigo Maligna?  It generally has a higher local recurrence rate so they try to get clean margins and EXTRA margins just in case.  Most melanomas require at least 5mm margins for in situ and more for deeper lesions.  You want to remove all those melanoma cells and have nothing left behind.  Cells left behind have the possibility to grow again.  Melanoma isn't something to trifle with so the goal is to get everything possible at this time.  Having this on your face sucks, but hopefully it will heal quickly and this will be the only experience you have with melanoma.

Best wishes,

Janner

First, Mohs isn't done all that often for melanoma but I'm sure the reason they used it was to save as much tissue as possible.  Second, all wide excisions (whether Mohs or excisional) go down to the muscle fascia – they take all the skin and subcutaneous fat.  That's standard procedure.  Was your lesion Lentigo Maligna?  It generally has a higher local recurrence rate so they try to get clean margins and EXTRA margins just in case.  Most melanomas require at least 5mm margins for in situ and more for deeper lesions.  You want to remove all those melanoma cells and have nothing left behind.  Cells left behind have the possibility to grow again.  Melanoma isn't something to trifle with so the goal is to get everything possible at this time.  Having this on your face sucks, but hopefully it will heal quickly and this will be the only experience you have with melanoma.

Best wishes,

Janner

First, Mohs isn't done all that often for melanoma but I'm sure the reason they used it was to save as much tissue as possible.  Second, all wide excisions (whether Mohs or excisional) go down to the muscle fascia – they take all the skin and subcutaneous fat.  That's standard procedure.  Was your lesion Lentigo Maligna?  It generally has a higher local recurrence rate so they try to get clean margins and EXTRA margins just in case.  Most melanomas require at least 5mm margins for in situ and more for deeper lesions.  You want to remove all those melanoma cells and have nothing left behind.  Cells left behind have the possibility to grow again.  Melanoma isn't something to trifle with so the goal is to get everything possible at this time.  Having this on your face sucks, but hopefully it will heal quickly and this will be the only experience you have with melanoma.

Best wishes,

Janner