An old roommate of mine used to be able to do “The Wave” with his eyebrows. Karl would lift one and then the other. I was able to lift my eyebrows, but only more-or-less at the same time. I was never able to show inquisitiveness by raising one eyebrow, one went up and the other followed. So all I was able to manage was an exaggerated look of surprise. This is, until last Friday…
Friday morning I went in for surgery to remove a small Basal Cell Carcinoma that had appeared on my temple over the right eye. The procedure took all morning, but that is mostly because each time they came in to slice out a bit more of the area they had to biopsy the tissue they had cut out to see if they had it all. It is a procedure called Mohs Surgery in which they slice off the carcinoma and biopsy the border to assure there are not cancerous cells left.
The surgery left me without the ability to raise my right eyebrow. I can now lift my left eyebrow and look inquisitive! My surgeon said that this may happen and that it would probably be a temporary affectation. I also have a bit of bruising and swelling around the site of the surgery. It looks like someone slugged me.
I got to change the dressing for the first time today which was nice. I had to keep the wound dry and the dressing fresh for 72 hours. Since it is right up against the hairline, I have not been able to wash my hair all weekend. This morning I washed my hair, removed the dressing and cleaned and dressed the wound. It looks a lot nicer this morning than it did right after the surgery.
My problem now is to come-up with a plausible (but more dramatic than truthful) story for explaining the scar. One of my brothers has a doosie of a scar on his ankle. Rather than telling the truth about it (he was a clutz and had an accident with a television picture tube) he used to tell people he got bit by a shark. I am not sure I can use that for my forehead; the scar will only be about 1/2" long. Perhaps a lamprey attack…
Whatever story I come up with, it will have to be a good one; plausible and outlandish simultaneously. The important thing for now is that I am on the mend and I get my stitches out on Friday.
Wherever you are this morning, I hope that you are doing well.
Don Bergquist – September 13, 2010 – Lakewood, Colorado, USA
4 comments:
How about a bar fight? That's what my dad used to tell me and my brother to explain surgery scars he had on his legs.
Cathy W
A fine option!
I've also received the idea of claiming to have had an accident while hanging a Picasso...
Injuring myself while saving a cute little kitten from a tree...
Rescuing someone from a fire...
And a seagul attack whilst eating sushi at an outdoor cafe.
Keep those ideas coming!
djb
How about rescuing a kitten, a Picasso, and a neighbour from a fire?
Cathy W
Might as well - as long as i am making it up anyway!
Why not a bar fight with a kitten over a Piccaso that I rescued from the fire my neighbor set by rubbing two seagulls over a pile of dried sushi at an outdoor cafe?
djb
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