Wednesday we took the cat to the vet. He's got an undercoat that gets all matted and there just doesn't seem to be anything we can do to help him. He's 16 years old so isn't as good at cleaning himself as he was when he was younger. We brush him, buy special brushes, whatever, he still gets mats. Our vet worked on him once before and, after sedating him, was able to just comb the mats out. Not this time! When we went to pick him up, we got back a lion!
Actually it seemed as though this procedure didn't bother him as much as the combing. Perhaps the sedation was more complete? Who knows. He seemed pretty normal after we got him back home. Now the DOG thought he was from Mars and just could not get enough sniffing and carrying on. Pretty funny!
Today it was my turn to go to the vet, er, quack, er, dermatologist. I had a growth on the top of my head that I was told was a basal cell carcinoma. I saw the doctor's PA a couple of weeks ago. He's here one day a week but for the surgery you need the doc and he's only here one day a month! So you can imagine he's got patient upon patient to see.
It's an out-patient procedure but can be a sort of pain. Depending on the position of the carcinoma they want to remove the entire thing but, of course, no more. You wouldn't want a larger than necessary scar on your face for example. So they numb you up and cut it off. Then they go check the removed tissue with a microscope to be sure they have a 'clean edge'. If they haven't gotten all the cancer, you have to get numbed again and cut on again. Some folks who were there when I got there were still there when I left! They were getting to see the doctor two or three times in one office visit. Jeez. Because mine was on the top of my head, there was no scarring to worry about and they got it all out on the first try. But, as they say, now I'm cancer free.
I've got stitches that will have to come out and I'm on antibiotics for a few days but that's about it. I'm on aspirin too since the head is kind of sore. This growing older thing doesn't have a lot going for it but I guess it's better than not. Have a good one!
3 comments:
Too bad about the scalp Don but it could have been worse. Plus you got a bonus face lift when they pulled those edges together!
Too much sunshine.
Not wearing a hat or too little hair. {*grin*}
I have to agree about the growing older thing. Seems like every year leads to more and more embarrassing or painful procedures to be endured.
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