PhotoDynamic Therapy Photos

Skiffin16
Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
edited August 2013 in Head and Neck Cancer #1

Well as mentioned from a previous post..., had the procedure Tuesday.

First they scrub your face with Acetone (nail polish remover), then alcohol..., next they apply a photosensitive mecication and rub it in good... Next they sent me to the lobby for an hour wearing a big floppy hat....

Next the put googles (like swim goggles) on me, and sit me down in front of a wrap around light source (blue light, though it looked yellow).

Oh, and then she says, "well this is going to feel like 1, 000 fire ants stinging your face"...., hmmm great. Then 16+ minutes of getting zapped...

Man, felt like a blow torch frying my face...

Day One

r1

Day Two

r2

Day Three

r3

My follow-up yesterday, she says all looks well, LOL... She will see me in two months for a follow-up....

Oh, and I can return to my "normal" activities.., she obviously doesn't know I'm abi-normal.

So anyways, having fun back at work today.....

No fishing this week-end for me anyways.

Holiday week-ends are only for sitting at the ramp in the shade with a cooler of beer, watching all of the crazies trying to back their trailers and boats into the water, for their annual once or twice a year boating ventures...

BTW, I do have more than one tank top, but this is my soft comfy one, and I wanted to wear it..., LOL.

Best,

JG - AKA ~ Rocky Racc.oon

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Comments

  • KTeacher
    KTeacher Member Posts: 1,103
    Ouch!

    Does it hurt as much as it looks like it hurts?  Do you get to put some cream on it?  Thank you for sharing, I'm not sure that I am up to this one.

  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    Good Gawd, John....

    Ummmmm.....Rocky.....When you first brought this up it sounded interesting....I mean photodynamic has kind of a nice (benevelent) ring to it.....but a 1000 fire ant stings???  How long does your face stay red?

  • donfoo
    donfoo Member Posts: 1,771 Member
    peeeeeel

    Dude,

    That is going to be the biggest sunburn in your life. I really want to see the pics of all that skin hanging off your face, like a dang lizard molting. lol 

    eat a browine or two for the pain! don

  • jim and i
    jim and i Member Posts: 1,788 Member
    Lobster comes to mind:) Just

    Lobster comes to mind:) Just think, when it is all over with you will have a face as smooth as a baby's bottom.

    Debbie

  • fishmanpa
    fishmanpa Member Posts: 1,227 Member
    Ouch!

    John,

    That seems almost counterproductive. A procedure to eliminate areas that could turn cancerous on your skin by basically burning the crap out of your skin?! But I guess if it works..... although give me the freeze and scrape method over 1000 fire ants stinging my face anyday!

    "T"

     

  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,722 Member
    mirror, mirror

    John (or whoever you are),

    So this is because you are entering the witness protection program or did you fall asleep in the sun while fishing?

    I read up on the procedure and it is a trip.  I haven’t shown signs of skin problems yet, do you think it is due to your outside Florida life style, it surely must be more than a precaution.

    Burn baby burn,

    Matt

  • longtermsurvivor
    longtermsurvivor Member Posts: 1,842 Member
    you know john

    That's what my face looked like on erbitux.  I never  got much in the way of zits, just looked and felt like the worst sunburn imaginable. 

  • debbiejeanne
    debbiejeanne Member Posts: 3,102 Member
    ooowwwwww!!!! 

    ooowwwwww!!!!  i'm sorry u have to go thru this.  i'd be too scared!    me and pain don't get along...lol.  seems like there would b a better/easier way.  i hope u r not n pain too long.  Cool  have 2 wear sun glasses b/c u r shining...lol.

    dj

  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    Hi John

    Will it improve on looks if so moreover I am headed your way. Looks to me more like a very bad sunburn then any therapy. If you can use some raw aloe to help cool it down and make your face heal faster. Sometimes I take a bath with it rubbing it into my skin and just damp drying it off.

    Hope and pray it works for you

    Hondo

  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    For DonFoo

    Here's my day four evening peeler crab photo...

    d3e

    Actually it doesn't hurt as much as it looks, as long as I'm not in the sun... It's not like a sunburn that hurts all of the time and is hot.

    This only has some pain when I'm in the sun, I presume the photosensitive meds haven't completely worn off. That feels more like some sticking an ice pick in your face in different spots, LOL...

    Peeling is starting, so I'm sure I should be good to go in a few days.

    JG

  • Grandmax4
    Grandmax4 Member Posts: 723
    Good Lord

    somehow, I missed your post about this treatment..I about freaked when I opened up this post and saw your face.. my heart is still thumping, glad you elected to have this torture

  • Duggie88
    Duggie88 Member Posts: 760 Member
    Hmmmmmmmm

    Thinking maybe I should have this done so we look like twins when we meet for coffee next weekend. We could really freak people out by telling them  a real good once upon a time story. Kinda like living up to the abi-normal. Nothing to abi, I don't know any judges down there and I won't have alot of bail money.

    Anyway, I hope it all works out, almost like a radiation repeat. You gotta get burned in order to get better.

    If you're giving up fishing this weekend to watch the show, thinking you will want to have at it next weekend, keep in mind I can meet early morning since I am ussually up early. Just a thought.

    Take care and enjoy the holiday

          Jeff

  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    Duggie88 said:

    Hmmmmmmmm

    Thinking maybe I should have this done so we look like twins when we meet for coffee next weekend. We could really freak people out by telling them  a real good once upon a time story. Kinda like living up to the abi-normal. Nothing to abi, I don't know any judges down there and I won't have alot of bail money.

    Anyway, I hope it all works out, almost like a radiation repeat. You gotta get burned in order to get better.

    If you're giving up fishing this weekend to watch the show, thinking you will want to have at it next weekend, keep in mind I can meet early morning since I am ussually up early. Just a thought.

    Take care and enjoy the holiday

          Jeff

    Fishing...

    Are you up for some fishing...., or just saying, LOL...

    ~JG

  • hwt
    hwt Member Posts: 2,328 Member
    Skiffin16 said:

    Fishing...

    Are you up for some fishing...., or just saying, LOL...

    ~JG

    Yikes!

    Looks painfulCry

  • TracyLynn72
    TracyLynn72 Member Posts: 839
    Owie!!

    Ouch!  That makes me want to grab the aloe gel and pour it over your head ;)  

  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    Getting There...

    Not really painful, just during the first sizteen minutes under the light.

    Now it's just a matter of the old skin peeling off. But it's not like a sunburn where your skin feels hot and painful.

     

    Aloe, LOL...

    I'm not sure if I'll ever get the nerve to try that again... When I was in treatment getting daily rads, and the daily amifostine injections. I tried aloe (the plant), to rub the gel on my radiation burnt skin (that looked similar to now).

    Anyways the last few days of amifostine I got sick as a dog, temperature would drop to 96, then shoot to 102.7. But it hadn't happened until just after I tried the aloe.

    Eventually in a day or so we discovered it was the amifostine building up I guess and I stopped the last few injections.

    But now just the thought of aloe, is like when you eat something and it makes you sick..., just the thought makes you qweezy.

    JG

  • hwt
    hwt Member Posts: 2,328 Member
    Skiffin16 said:

    Getting There...

    Not really painful, just during the first sizteen minutes under the light.

    Now it's just a matter of the old skin peeling off. But it's not like a sunburn where your skin feels hot and painful.

     

    Aloe, LOL...

    I'm not sure if I'll ever get the nerve to try that again... When I was in treatment getting daily rads, and the daily amifostine injections. I tried aloe (the plant), to rub the gel on my radiation burnt skin (that looked similar to now).

    Anyways the last few days of amifostine I got sick as a dog, temperature would drop to 96, then shoot to 102.7. But it hadn't happened until just after I tried the aloe.

    Eventually in a day or so we discovered it was the amifostine building up I guess and I stopped the last few injections.

    But now just the thought of aloe, is like when you eat something and it makes you sick..., just the thought makes you qweezy.

    JG

    Qweezy

    You mean like when I took cottage cheese and cling peaches to my 1st chemo tx for lunch and now everytime you mention those darn peaches, I get qweezyEmbarassed 

  • fishmanpa
    fishmanpa Member Posts: 1,227 Member
    Skiffin16 said:

    Getting There...

    Not really painful, just during the first sizteen minutes under the light.

    Now it's just a matter of the old skin peeling off. But it's not like a sunburn where your skin feels hot and painful.

     

    Aloe, LOL...

    I'm not sure if I'll ever get the nerve to try that again... When I was in treatment getting daily rads, and the daily amifostine injections. I tried aloe (the plant), to rub the gel on my radiation burnt skin (that looked similar to now).

    Anyways the last few days of amifostine I got sick as a dog, temperature would drop to 96, then shoot to 102.7. But it hadn't happened until just after I tried the aloe.

    Eventually in a day or so we discovered it was the amifostine building up I guess and I stopped the last few injections.

    But now just the thought of aloe, is like when you eat something and it makes you sick..., just the thought makes you qweezy.

    JG

    Isn't it funny...

    It's funny you mention your aversion to aloe. There are many things that I just can't stand the thought of since this whole thing started. Obviously it's connecting the unpleasentness of cancer and treatment. The smell of "Special Care Cream" just makes me qweezy. Certain foods, drinks, products, smells and even places do the same thing. It's not a manic thing by any means but still.... yuck!

    "T"

  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    fishmanpa said:

    Isn't it funny...

    It's funny you mention your aversion to aloe. There are many things that I just can't stand the thought of since this whole thing started. Obviously it's connecting the unpleasentness of cancer and treatment. The smell of "Special Care Cream" just makes me qweezy. Certain foods, drinks, products, smells and even places do the same thing. It's not a manic thing by any means but still.... yuck!

    "T"

    I got it, too.....

    the nose is the gateway to deja-vu......I cannot stand the smell of rubbing alcohol....it didn't bother me at all when I started treatment, but now everytime I go get my port flushed, I keep an eye on the bathroom (hoping it isn't occupied).  Laughing 

    p

  • alligatorpointer
    alligatorpointer Member Posts: 131

    I got it, too.....

    the nose is the gateway to deja-vu......I cannot stand the smell of rubbing alcohol....it didn't bother me at all when I started treatment, but now everytime I go get my port flushed, I keep an eye on the bathroom (hoping it isn't occupied).  Laughing 

    p

    perfect P ! you definitely 'got it'

    P ... your comment "the nose is the gateway to deja-vu" is the perfect way to describe it !  Fortunately, the deja-vu can sometimes be good stuff.  For instance, the smell of chicken-n-dumplings cooking always takes me back to my grandmother's kitchen and happy childhood memories.  That gateway is probably mounted on hinges that last forever.