A woman loses her nose after discovering cancer and undergoing two surgeries

north america Lisa Mercer49 years old, wanted Removal of the entire nose after stage III cancer of the sinuses and base of the skull is detectedin August 2022.

Lisa underwent two surgeries to try to remove the tumor from her nose, but the operation was not successful and she needed surgery.Move the nose completely In an eight-hour surgery. After it was removed, she underwent 30 sessions of radiation therapy. One of the results of treatment is the loss of the sense of smell and taste.

Despite everything, she considers herself a happy person. “I’m happy to be alive, but I think I developed PTSD from the whole experience. When I saw myself without my nose for the first time, it was scary. It took a long time to get used to it,” Lisa said. the sunOn Monday, the 18th.

North American uses A Magnetic prosthesis where the nose used to be. “I don’t mind my prosthetic nose, but I don’t think society will be comfortable with me walking around without my prosthetic nose. I’m so happy to be alive,” she said.

From symptoms to diagnosis

Lisa Mercer She spent a year and a half with various symptoms until she was diagnosed with cancer in August 2022. She told the newspaper that she canceled at least six exam appointments between November 2021 and July 2022, which she believes contributed to her late diagnosis.

Lisa He revealed that the symptoms at first were mild, such as a headache and a feeling of nasal congestion. She tried to make an appointment in person, but was unable to do so. The solution was phone support. The doctor diagnosed her with sinusitis and prescribed an antibiotic nasal spray. The American used the medication for a month, but did not notice any improvement and returned to the doctor on two other occasions. All other prescribed nasal sprays only.

“At first I had a stuffy nose, a painful nose, watery eyes, and headaches all the time,” he explained. It was only when she began experiencing intermittent nosebleeds and numbness in her face that she scheduled a private consultation with a specialist in May 2021. Following this consultation, Lisa was referred for a CT scan and was later diagnosed with cancer.

The former carer has set up a social media account where she talks about her recovery and encourages people with similar symptoms to push for better medical referrals. “I wish I had pushed harder [os médicos] Because maybe I would still have my nose and I wouldn’t have this fear of the cancer coming back hanging over my head. “I feel like I didn’t get a lot of help,” he said.

Source: Redacao Terra