3 Things That Can Help as You Go Through Mohs Surgery
Skin cancer is nothing to take lightly. It is estimated that over 87,000 cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed in the year 2017. Of those 87,000 it is estimated that close to 10,000 deaths will occur due to the skin cancer. You can do a few things to protect your skin such as wear clothing that covers you skin, and also wearing sunscreen.
However, it is possible to get skin cancer no matter how prepared you are. Luckily there is a procedure that can help rid you of the cancer. This is called Mohs surgery. This procedure is where a doctor uses a blade to slice thin pieces of your tissue away until the cancer is gone. Here are a few different things to help you prepare and get through the surgery.
Plan Your Recovery
Most of the time the surgery itself will only take a few hours, but if the cancer goes deeper than anticipated or the doctor finds more cancer, the treatment can be extended. It is best if you plan to take the entire day off from work just to be safe. It is also wise to go to the store before you have the surgery so you can stock up on your medicated ointments. This will allow you to skip the store when you finished with the surgery and could be in a bit of pain.
Blood Thinners
The doctor will be using a razor to cut into your tissue, so naturally you will experience bleeding. A normal amount of bleeding is no problem at all. However, if you have been taking blood thinners then getting the bleeding to stop may be a big problem. Your doctor will likely tell you to stop taking over the counter blood thinners ten days before the surgery, but there are also some foods that you should avoid. Some of the most common natural blood thinners are fish oil, garlic, vitamin E, ginko, and ginger.
Get Comfortable
The morning of your surgery you should enjoy a meal and enough to drink. You should also be in comfortable clothing as you may be waiting for awhile, and getting worked on for a few hours. Another tip to hep you through your day is to take a book or good magazine to pass the time. There is a good chance that you will have the opportunity to read for a few hours.
These are just some simple things to get you through the surgery. Contact local dermatologists to learn more about the surgery and skin cancer treatments.
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