The appointment is for 8; I arrive a few minutes early. And, Dr. Becker is also ready a few minutes early.
Rosa (the doctor's very bubbly and re-assuring assistant) preps me. The local numbing agent she injects barely hurts.
And Dr. Becker begins. I feel nothing, and it takes little time. By 8:07 he's done.
I'm told to wait until the biopsy is complete. It's done in the office and takes about 20 minutes or so. I text M in the meantime, thinking and hoping it's over.
It's not.
A nurse comes in and tells me matter-of-factly that they need to cut again; some cancer was still showing on the biopsy. She re-numbs me, and minutes later Dr. Becker is back. The surgery this time takes a little longer.
Before the doctor leaves, I hear him tell Rosa something about "cauterizing my blood vessels" and getting "eye repair." I'm hoping that maybe he'll surprise me and do a brow lift, but no... the blood vessel reference is to stop the bleeding and the "eye repair" is some kind of kit needed for the stitches (I was hoping not to have).
I wait another 20 minutes. This time the nurse comes in and says, "The biopsy was clear." I am relieved. She gives me an ice patch to hold on my eye for 15 minutes, and then the doctor comes in to stitch me up.
Dr. Becker explains that he is doing something called a flap to minimize scarring. This involves two levels of stitching — one on the inside layer and another on the top layer. "How many stitches are you doing?" I ask. "I don't know; I don't count," he responds.
After he leaves, I ask Rosa. "Seven on top." I don't care about the inside ones that will dissolve. I look a mess, but the cancer is gone. And it's only 9:03.
I'm told to expect bruising around the eye and maybe some swelling. The pain is not too bad, but there is an annoying bandage that is uncomfortably close to my eye.
By 9:31, I'm in a Via on my way home.
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