We hear all the warnings. We try to get our yearly check-ups. But for me, too many years spent in the Florida sun back when sunscreen wasn’t a big thing, means a lot of pre-cancerous spots to be frozen each year.
My check-up was generally good. One biopsy taken (results in 2-3 weeks) on my right shin and several pre-cancerous spots were frozen.
But this year the dermatologist decided it was time to try a different approach on my face. I’ve had several spots on my nose frozen and since I have had a lot of sunburns there, I knew it would continue to be an issue. She also found several pre-cancerous spots on my temples and cheeks.
I am now using Efudex (5% fluorouracil) on my face twice a day for two weeks. According to Google, it’s actually considered chemotherapy.
“It can treat rough, raised areas of heavily sun-exposed skin (actinic or solar keratoses). It can also treat skin cancer (basal cell carcinoma).”
A good friend and fellow author, Nick Russell, went through this a few years back so I had a rough idea what I might look like. I then made the mistake of going through Google images….eeek!
I am currently on day six and see a few spots getting redder. There is a little itching in some spots and an irritation where my glasses sit seems to be sloughing off. When I can, I’m wearing readers that I can perch lower on my nose. So far the worse side effect is a strong metallic taste in my mouth a couple hours after the morning application.
I plan to take selfies to show how this progresses. My follow-up is in late July so that is how long it can take to complete the process. Oh, and did I mention, no sun if at all possible? That exacerbates the process. So broad-brimmed hats if I have to go out, but in general, I’m trying to avoid it completely.
Starting pic….the red you see is my natural complexion (and always shows in photos)
