Dermatofibroma - Gone

The last time I went to the dermatologist, I blogged about it. I mentioned at one time in the past that I had a spot on my upper right shoulder that felt like a hard bump underneath the skin. I knew it was nothing to worry about, but since it had grown over the last six months, I made an appointment for it to be taken off. It is called a dermatofibroma. I've had one removed before...the last was on my lower back at my waistband.

Because dermatofibromas require a deeper cut to be removed, I now have a couple of layers of stitches under the skin. The sutures should dissolve over the next month, but for now, I have a big bandage over my skin, some suture tape over the scar, and then one stitch on the outside to reinforce the sutures on the inside. The numbing shots have begun to wear off this afternoon, and it feels like someone has stabbed the back of my right shoulder. I don't want to move it!

When you have 'surgery' (yes, that is what it is) like this, they tell you not to do any exercise for at least a week. When I mentioned that I had 'forgotten' about that requirement, the doctor and I discussed whether or not I could refrain from running for a week. Um...no? She asked me when I needed to run again, so I lied and said Saturday. She seemed shocked that I needed to run so soon, while I unknowingly made plans in my head to start back tomorrow.

Here are the instructions I received

1. Remove your pressure dressing (bulky gauze and tape) after 24-48 hours. (Running Wednesday evening for 5 miles will be at 30 hours.)
   
2. Avoid strenuous activities that may pull or damage the wound. Ummm...so no running. I'm also worried about sleeping on my side, as the sutures are on the side that I like to sleep on automatically.
   
3. Smoking interferes with wound healing. Try to reduce or avoid it during the healing phase. (Note to self - don't start up a nicotine habit this week)
   
   For Patients with SteriStrips -
   
4. When your pressure dressing is removed, you will see small yellow tape strips. They are applied with an adhesive. DO NOT REMOVE or clean them. Instead, do your best to keep them dry. (I will have to run at the gym for a couple of miles at a time so as not to break a terrible sweat and soak my bandage.) If they do get wet, pat them dry. They will generally remain in place for 7-10 days. (Umm, anyone wanna bet that they come off before 7 days?)
   
5. If the strips peel off on the corners, you can trim the edges or -(if it comes off of the wound) apply a generous amount of petroleum jelly or Polysporin on the wound immediately after cleansing. Lubrication is very important. Do not let a dry scab form, as this will slow down healing.

Pain -
If the wound becomes red, swollen, increasingly painful, or begins to drain excessive amounts of pus/blood, PLEASE CALL US. Some discomfort the first two days after your procedure is normal, but this should start declining thereafter. You may take Tylenol or Advil for the pain. (So since this is only 8 hours after my procedure, I shouldn't whine?)

After Steri-strips have fallen off and/or sutures have been removed, we recommend the use of silicone scar sheets. You can buy them at a pharmacy or grocery store. Remove the sheet when bathing, but otherwise keep the sheet on 24 hours a day for 2-4 weeks to help with wound healing.

So, it looks like I'm going to be healing for quite a while. I'm gonna run and heal as best as I can. I want to follow the Doctor's instructions at least for the first 24-48 hours, and then we'll see how well I can run without stressing out the area.

Seriously, getting on and off my sports bra without damaging the area will be more of a challenge than actually running.