June 30, 2005; Dallas, Texas
The worm is gone! The worm is gone!
On June 9th Delton went in for surgery to remove Basil Cell Carcinoma cancer from his nose. The doctors had to remove an area 1.6 by 1.4 centimeters. Six layers of skin and tissue were removed before they got all of the cancer. The doctor said that two to three layers usually worked for most patients.
After the surgery for removal Delton went to a plastic surgeon to repair the damage. The surgeon elected to create a flap using tissue from the left cheek and attaching it to the nose. The flap is attached to both the cheek and the nose. This procedure gives more blood flow to the graft and produces better results. Cartilage was also taken out of the ear to reconstruct the nose. The flap is affectionately called “The Worm”.
Delton took great pains to keep “The Worm” moist and healthy for three weeks. He counted the days! He stayed out of public as much as possible just to avoid the many stares he got from kids and adults alike. As you can see from the picture it was a gruesome site. Finally, on June 30th the flap was removed.
This was also during the time we were putting our stuff in storage, selling our house and preparing for our motor home venture.
Delton had his second surgery on June 30th to repair his nose after Mohs Surgery. Pictured is Delton after the surgery. His is expected to look as handsome as ever after a few months of healing.
