It took three surgeries to reconstruct a Colorado woman’s nose after part of it had to be removed due to skin cancer.
According to AdventHealth, melanoma is one of the most common forms of cancer in Colorado, due to our elevation and the popularity of outdoor activities. But as the summer sun heats up, doctors working to treat the most serious cases of skin cancer are warning of its danger, and a Douglas County skin cancer survivor is sharing her story.
“The face is the first thing people see,” Taryn Wilson said.
In 2021, Parker’s mother noticed some dry skin on the left side of her nose.
“I would have a little piece of skin that would just peel off, and then it would peel off, it would bleed, and then it would scab over, and it was just kind of a cycle,” Wilson said.
After a biopsy, he was diagnosed with infiltrative basal cell carcinoma, a deeply penetrating form of skin cancer.
“It was very scary. I was worried that I wouldn’t look the same, that my life would change forever,” Wilson said.
Taryn Wilson
Her dermatologist had to remove a piece of Taryn’s nose to get rid of the cancer. She was referred to plastic surgeon Dr. David Archibald, who works at Advent Health in Castle Rock, for a complex reconstruction.
“Although we didn’t know how big or serious the cancer would be, it was in a very delicate part of his face,” Archibald said.
Archibald’s practice performs about 30 skin cancer reconstructions each week.
“Due to the size and location of his cancer, we first had to recreate the structural part of his nose,” Archibald said.
Archibald used cartilage from Wilson’s ear and skin from his cheek to replace what was lost.
“We designed a template that has the same shape and is hidden in the smile line of the cheek,” Archibald said.
After three surgeries and months of healing, Wilson’s face shows no signs of the aggressive cancer.
“It was phenomenal what the human body can do and the skin went up my nose, and I can feel like myself again!” Wilson said.
“I thought it was crazy how he went from having his face sewn up and everything to looking perfectly normal. Sometimes I think, ‘Wait, which side did you have it on again?'” Taryn’s daughter said. , Taylor Wilson, 11 years old.
Archibald says the severity of Taryn’s cancer is unusual for someone in her early 40s.
“I grew up always in the sun and not wearing much sunscreen, went to college in Arizona and worked in a tanning bed in high school,” Wilson said.
Today he has new habits that he passes on to his children.
“I take care of my skin, I use sunscreen, I wear hats,” Wilson said.
“She always says, ‘Taylor, every time you have to put sunscreen on in the morning,’ and I just say, ‘Okay,’ because of what happened to her,” Taylor Wilson said.
She hopes others will take precautions and get early screenings to protect the profile she once took for granted.
If you have had skin cancer removed in the past, it is not too late to have reconstructive work. But Archibald says it can be more complicated if the skin has healed. Most of this type of reconstructive work is covered by insurance.
[fifu]
Keynote USA
For the Latest Local News, Follow Keynote USA Local on Twitter.