MAC is not a computer!

Dear suechase, it appears you've found 2! Today is the first time I've found anyone but my husband who's had this! He'll be happy to hear he's not alone in the world too!! Where was it on your face? I'm glad they could get it with MOHS! John's had grown through the (I think) trigeminal nerve root from just beside his nose and was attached to his right eye, pulling it out of alignment. We were blessed to be referred to a neurosurgeon who had actually dealt with MAC before. The pathologists weren't sure exactly what it was. After John's surgery, when they had the entire "tumor", they confirmed it was MAC. How great they did reconstructive surgery for you! You are NOT alone. We are here for you! How can we help?

Dear suechase, I hope your emotions and imagination are doing better by now. Believe me, WE GET IT!! I read your messages to my hubby (John), and he was SO GLAD to hear from someone else who has had this sneaky, disfiguring --- but thankfully curable! --- cancer. He wanted you to know that even though he still has times when he worries that it may have returned, those frights become fewer and farther in-between as time goes on. He is still 100% cancer-free after 7 1/2 years, and says he rarely gives a thought to his face and 'new normal' routine anymore. The same is true for me, our families, and all of our friends. He is simply John. The same handsome, spiritual, witty, ornery, loving guy we all came to know and love. I'm sure your situation will be much the same. Those who love us--and new friends who come to love us-- see who we ARE inside, and that overcomes all.

Where do you live? We are in western Colorado, USA. We would love to hear more about you when you're ready to share! Hang in there!! This part of life gets easier, I promise. And the rest of life gets better at the most unexpected (and expected) moments!

Thinking of you,

Debbysue

We're in western Colorado, USA and were very lucky financially with my hubby's surgery too. The company he worked for (he's now retired and on disability due to the loss of his eye and therefore not eligible to do his job anymore) was wonderful to him AND had a terrific health insurance program that covered the vast majority of the bills. John has been cancer-free for 7 1/2 years now, and is looking forward to a long life of riding his motorized "toys" well into his 80s, when he swears he'll go either on his motorcycle or snowmobile -- climbing a mountain and having a heart attack on the way back down! (I absolutely HATE it every time he tells me this, but I'll be in my 90s by then with dementia, so.....🙄🥴)

Interesting that you've had lots of trauma in your past too! John had a lot of physical and emotional abuse as a child and teenager, and also had to deal with his mom's mental illness on his own. I went through an abusive childhood too, but nothing like what he did. It's so ironic that we survivors tend to gravitate toward one another, isn't it? And I've often wondered how much those childhood traumas and illnesses relate to our adult physical maladies. Cancers, digestive disorders, fibromyalgia (my main thing), heart diseases, arthritis, etc. For instance, I know of several other people with fibromyalgia who had every childhood illness that came around and also rheumatic fever -- just like I did (twice). Perhaps someday scientists will discover a link between something in our childhoods that gives us a greater chance of getting cancer and discover a way to reverse that!

But for right now, I've ordered the book you recommended but haven't downloaded it yet. I hope to be able to just take a whole day and read the entire thing at once. (I tend to retain more info that way.)

That's baffling that you whole torso went numb. Especially for that long! I can't imagine how weird that must have felt! I hope you're doing well now! Would love to hear from you again!

Debbysue