cancer free.

I did it. I had my face cut open and cancer sliced out.

I took a before picture in case I came out looking like a mess.

So Chase drove me to the hospital and we waited in the room while the nurse told me that the average patient is 72. I didn't need to know that. Then a nurse and student came in and my doctor told them exactly what was happening while it was happening, that's the point where I realized I should have said yes when they asked if I wanted anesthesia. So I closed my eyes and he stuck needles in my face, made a giant slit with a knife, sliced a nice chunk of skin out and showed it to me. Again, I didn't need to see that or know anything about it. Then they put a lovely eye patch on and sat us in this waiting room filled with treats. Chase took full advantage. I worried that we were going to have to do this several times before they got all the cancer out.

 After the second biopsy they called us back in, the cancer was deep and had quite the root, so it was back to the knife.

This time they cut more and I closed my eyes when they tried to show it to me. I could feel blood dripping down my face and felt the nurse wiping it off, which really just meant he was smearing it all over my face. ew.

Back to the waiting room, chase was being goofy to keep me distracted and it worked.

I'm pretty sure he was pretending to be one of the many 80 year old women we were surrounded by.

After 3 separate surgeries, the last biopsy came back negative, cancer free.

So they brought me back in, put a total of 14 stitches in my face, handed me a bunch of pain killers, and let me go.

I'm definitely feeling it today, and it sucks, but not as bad as the cancer did.

I hope it doesn't return until I'm 80.

and, in a few days I'll take this ridiculous looking tape off my face and cross my fingers that the scar isn't too bad.

Tomorrow I'm getting back on track. For some reason I think that whenever I have surgery or go through something traumatic I automatically get to eat every treat I see and that my body deserves it. I ate a HUGE sundae last night and I didn't even feel guilty. I'm not exactly sure why having my face cut up meant I needed 10,000 calories, but it did.

*update numero uno*

i. look. so. scary.

and I'm not happy about it :(

*update number 2*

thank goodness for plastic surgeons. it's getting there.