Latest Mohs Surgery

basal cell after biopsy

As I posted previously, the biopsy taken on the spot on my left temple back in July came back positive as a basal cell carcinoma. The Mohs surgery could not be scheduled until September 25th. The specialist who performed my previous Mohs procedures is no longer with my dermatology practice, so this was my first experience with their new surgeon. He is fine, but I really liked the gal they had before. 

The surgery was scheduled for 8:45, but the doctor was late and didn't even get to the office until 9:10. Not a great first impression. He took the first cut around 9:30, and I was bandaged up and sent to a small waiting area with all the other walking wounded. Everyone else had bandages on their noses, so it must have been Mohs Nose Day or something. It was an hour before they took me back and said they did not have a clean margin on the piece removed. The surgeon said while the basal cell was not deep, there were still some cells along one of the sides that needed to come out. By the time he got done with me, the small waiting area was full, so I had to go out to the main waiting room.

A gal came out to get me a little after 12:00, and since she took me to a different area of the clinic I assumed they had gotten a clean margin on the second try. That assumption proved correct, as I was led back to the plastic surgeon's procedure room. I have had this plastic surgeon for wound closure every time they have done Mohs on me, so I'm very comfortable with him. He stitched me up, gave me my followup instructions, and the gal put a covering on the site. They are aware that I am allergic to every known adhesive on bandages and tape, so she put on a gauze pad and attached it with paper tape.  

This is my 22nd skin cancer removal, not all of them by Mohs of course. But this one has been pretty painful. When I removed the gauze pad after 24 hours as instructed, I was stunned to see how large the cut was. No wonder it hurts! For the first three days I alternated taking Tylenol and ibuprofen every four hours during the day. By the fourth day I was only taking them every six or seven hours.

Mohs surgery

Hopefully this wound will not get infected like the last two ED&C removals have done. I go in this morning to get the stitches out, and I am praying that the skin smooths out after that since the bottom third of the wound looks really rough.

The Gateway City

St. Louis Arch

Following our Kentucky and Indiana stops, we drove the remaining three hours to St. Louis. Even after all these years, it remains a thrill to catch sight of the Arch as you cross the Mississippi River into Missouri.

The main purpose of our trip was to attend the 30th Anniversary celebration of SWT Design, the company Jim founded with Ted Spaid and Susan Trautman in 1995. What an accomplishment!

But the trip also gave us an opportunity to catch up with friends and family while we were in the area. We were able to see my sister's family, which was great, and Jim got in a bit of motorcycle riding with his friend.

While he was off the first day, I met a girlfriend at the Sophia Sach's Butterfly House. It was a pretty hot day so neither one of us wanted to go on a long walk outside. While the butterfly house is on the warm side, at least you are in the shade. It was great to sit and chat while the butterflies flitted around us. We grabbed lunch after that. 

Butterfly House

The next day while Jim rode, I picked up another friend and she and I went to the Missouri Botanical Garden. I have been to many gardens in my travels around the world, but I have yet to find one that is as wonderful as the one in St. Louis. It is easy to navigate while offering a different visual and sensory experience around every corner. As this particular friend is also a photographer, we were in perfect sync stopping to photograph the flowers and insects around us. When we were finished, we went to the Trainwreck Saloon for lunch. This restaurant is owned by a gal that I worked with at the American Cancer Society from 1980-1982. In all the times I have eaten there, she has never been around. But that Wednesday was my lucky day as Chris was in! We had the best time catching up, and since my lunch friend graduated from the same high school as Chris, they had things to talk about as well.

Missouri Botanical Garden

On Thursday Jim and I spent the day together since the party was later that afternoon. We first went to the St. Louis Zoo. Again, I've gone to a lot of zoos in my lifetime, and none of them compare to this zoo. And it is FREE to get in! SWT Design has done a bit of work in the zoo, so in addition to enjoying the animals it was fun to check up on the progress/maturation of some of their work. The nice, hot day necessitated a stop at Ted Drewes for some frozen custard - always a highlight of a visit to St. Louis.

St. Louis Zoo

That afternoon was the SWT celebration garden party. While it was hot, it was wonderful to catch up with staff members and clients. I don't think Jim and Ted ever anticipated what their dream would one day become. It's a huge milestone to make 30 years in the design field, and to know that their projects have made and are making a lasting impression not only in St. Louis but throughout the country.

Friday was our last day and we began it by playing pickleball in a nearby park with Jim's riding buddy, who has been playing even longer than me. Then the three of us had a late breakfast, and the guys dropped me off at the hotel so they could go pick up the motorcycle trailer. For a few months Jim's motorcycle has been garaged in St. Louis. But it is time for the annual inspection and licensing, so we needed to get it back to Charlotte. It seemed easiest to trailer it back so Jim wouldn't have to make that long bike trip on his own.

Saturday morning we left St. Louis as the sun was rising and made the thirteen hour drive back home. The trailer added time to the trip as we had to stop more often for gas, and be a little more cautious when driving through the mountains. So we saw the sun rise and the sun set, but made it safely back here.

sunrise, sunset

 

Kentucky Whisky

A couple weeks ago we drove up to St. Louis to see friends and family. As it is a long drive, we stopped in Loretto, Kentucky so we could experience the Maker's Mark Distillery tour. There's a bit of a connection between Loretto and Webster Groves, the St. Louis suburb that we lived in before moving to North Carolina.

Loretto is known as the national home of the Sisters of Loretto, which were founded in 1812 to provide education and serve the community. The early nuns enlisted the aid of Father Charles Nerinckx, the Flemish missionary priest who served the area, to help them establish their community. We visited the Loretto campus, and saw the sign for a road named Nerinx. 

Sisters of Loretto

In Webster Groves, very near where we lived, is a girl's Catholic school called Nerinx Hall. It was founded in 1924 following the Loretto values, and the name is a tribute to Reverend Charles Nerinckx of Kentucky. Also nearby is Webster University, which was founded in 1915 by the Sisters of Loretto as Loretto College. It was one of the first women's colleges west of the Mississippi River.

In Loretto we stayed at the Hill House Bed & Breakfast, a home that was built in 1863. We had a lovely stay there, and the hosts recommended that we head to Yellowstone Bourbon for a free flight of whisky. As I am not a whisky fan (and felt bad about only getting a free flight with our coupon) I ordered a gin Old Fashioned. It was tasty!

Yellowstone Bourbon

Following a delicious breakfast at the B & B, we drove the few miles down the road to Maker's Mark. The campus, also known as Star Hill Farms, is approximately 1,100 acres. Our tour began at 11:00 and lasted an hour and a half. The tour guide provided a lot of interesting information about the history of Maker's Mark and the process they use to make, bottle, label, seal and ship their whisky. An added bonus for us was the Chihuly glass exhibit that is taking place this year. After the tour we made our way to Huntingburg, Indiana, where we spent the night at our daughter-in-law's parent's house. They are right on the way to St. Louis, so it was great to be able to catch up with them for a bit. 

Maker's Mark Distillery