What looked like a tiny, pinkish mosquito bite on my forehead turned out to be a basal cell carcinoma, as I told you guys before.

They went after it at Dermatology earlier today. It was more extensive than they had thought, and it took between 3 and 4 hours of running back and forth to Pathology to get the margins clear.

I have a nasty-looking 4" vertical gash running down the center of my forehead with a pressure dressing over it, and it aches like there is a tomahawk planted in it, but they told me it will heal fairly quickly, which goes along with all the encouraging stories y'all have told me.

I'm glad to have to over with!

I'm glad the procedure is over....and am very sorry for the present pain.

I hope they gave you pain medicine!

They told me that all I would need was ibuprofen.

They lied. As I said, I feel as if a tomahawk were deeply sunk into my skull. I took Tramadol, a fairly mild opiate, around eight earlier this evening, because the ibuprofens were not doing the job.

If I'm still awake around two in the morning (that's how long I have to wait before taking any other heavier-duty painkiller) I will probably go for an oxycodone left over from my shoulder surgery. It's that nasty.

And it's not like I'm a wimp. I got through my shoulder surgery in February and was able to switch within 48 hours from the oxycocone they had given me back to Tramadol, which I have at home for spinal arthritis, and that worked just fine. That's why I have Oxycodone left.

(And I am very careful about keeping proper intervals between the two, so they don't gang up on me.)

That will heal well, and I think you said you have bangs?

Don’t worry about a scar if there is one—-just good that they got it all.

because nobody is able to get haircuts.

I may have to trim them myself, which won't be pretty, but they are making me crazy.

I'm not at all worried about a scar. I consider them to be signs of endurance. And the new one has plenty of company already in residence!

I am happy to hear they spent the time to get it right. I am sorry about the pain, that sucks :(

Yay! Four hours is a lot, though. And I'm very sorry about the pain. I would report back to the dermatologist that the ibuprofen didn't cut it. You sound like me -- I like to get off opiates ASAP after surgery.

I'm really sorry about this, but I'm glad they found it in time. I've had melanoma twice, and the last time left a 1/2" dip in my upper arm almost 3" long. It's been a couple of years now, and it's still there. But, it's better than the alternative.

I'm sorry about the pain. It will get better, you'll get through it. (((HUGS)))

If you are over the pain, call them anyway so you can replenish the oxycodone you are using that you had saved.

I love how they think everything can be covered by ibuprofen and Tylenol these days. I ended up almost going septic because of pain from having a tooth pulled. The ER doctor told me that is where I was headed if I hadn't come in. Pain is nothing to mess with.

I'm glad it is OVER WITH. I hate the anticipation and going through it. Getting home is such a relief. Take the oxycodone sooner than later.

I talked to a lady who identified herself as a nurse. I asked if she was with Dermatology, but she declined to say. As my questions became more pointed, her replies became more evasive, and eventually, she hung up on me. I wasn't impressed.

I eventually got through to the surgeon. I told her that I was the veteran of many surgeries over the years, but I've never had one with such intense and apparently untreatable post-op pain.

I can only attribute her response to English not being her first language. (I could have offered to switch to Spanish, but sometimes that pisses people off.) She kept repeating that having pain following surgery is normal (like that might not have occurred to me) and that it would eventually go away. She reminded me to stay upright as much as I could, and sleep with two pillows - less blood in the head area.

And she insisted that Tylenol, three times a day, would be the ticket. By that time, I didn't see any point in mentioning that Tylenol works equally well for me whether I actually take it, or just leave the bottle sitting in the medicine cabinet. This has been true for decades.

I have been careful not to take anything with aspirin in it, but even so, I have a lovely shiner encompassing my right eye, from just under the brow down to the circles beneath. And the eye is about half swollen shut. Looks like I was in one helluva brawl.

I took a couple of Oxys during the wee hours of the morning, and after waiting another 5 hours or so (as the bottle directs) I took another two a short while ago. Finally, FINALLY, there is perceptibly less pain. Not gone entirely, but markedly less.

There wasn't anywhere near this kind of pain with my shoulder replacement back in February (less than a month before COVID "went viral"). That's why I have my stash of Oxys. I was given a good supply of them and didn't need them. Glad I kept them.

Thank you guys for your support. It means everything.

catnip, the back-alley brawler!!

I think that a lot of physicians and dentists are very, very cautious about prescribing opioids due to the possibility of getting addicted. I had gum surgery and the specialist would only give me prescription-strength Motrin. Fortunately, that did the trick for me. My regular dentist knows when I request an opioid, it's because I need it. And when I use opioids post surgery, it's only for about two days max, just enough to get me over the biggest pain hump.

I don't know how it is where you live, but in Maryland, all a physician or dentist has to do is to pull up a centralized, online prescription registry. My primary care provider could easily see what I had been prescribed in the past, and that I tolerate opioids well and do not abuse them.

I would find someone above this physician and make a complaint -- perhaps the board to which she belongs, or the head of her practice, or the hospital which grants her admitting privileges. There is no reason why you should be in intense pain.

So glad you are healing! Take it easy and ask for help if you need assistance.

When I had abdominal surgery I could not find an open pharmacy for pain reliever meds because they sent me home from the hospital too late at night. Thank the flying spaghetti monster I had some of my mom's prescription pain meds in the medicine cabinet or I'd have been screaming all night. I was totally alone. The "friend" I called wouldn't come and my sis wouldn't answer her phone. It was an emergency surgery so I couldn't line-up help in advance. Thank goodness for the taxi driver or I'd have had no help whatsoever getting into bed. Some ditsy social worker talked with me in the hospital and told me she would help me fill my prescription when she came back to check on me. She never returned. Lost all confidence in social workers.

P.S. Hind site is 20/20. I should not have let them discharge me from the hospital without my prescription being filled and with no one to help me at home. I guess I wasn't thinking straight. Nobody even asked me if I had anyone to help me when I got home. Hospitals sure want you out ASAP. This was two years ago so Corona Virus had nothing to do with it.

Pooped, your story is appalling. Every time I have had any kind of surgery, the surgical team has always made sure that there are competent adults at home who can help me. DH, adult daughter.

That ought to be the function of the case manager.

My mother was worried sick about me because she knew I didn't have anyone to help. With her in the nursing home and helpless she couldn't do anything for me except send good vibes.

I think at the time I was more worried about my mother stressing out over me than I was about my own situation. She kept calling to check on me and I told her I was okay and not to worry. It's all I could say because I knew she couldn't do anything but worry and that made me worry.