Friday, April 29, 2011

Skin Cancer?!?!


This is my 100th post! I feel like I should do something momentous....but I got nothing.  Maybe I'll celebrate my 107th post.

I would like to start by giving huge kudos to all of you out there that manage to take good pictures of yourselves.  Here's my deer-caught-in-the-head lights look for you. 
Back to the point of this post:  see that band-aid under my eye?  I'm pale-if it wasn't for my freckles, my skin would have no pigment what so ever.  I also didn't start using sunscreen until I was a teenager (b/c no one did) . I grew up mostly in the south and would blister and peel several times each summer. I'm a little OCD about sunscreen these days, but paranoid about past damage.

I've had a weird spot on my face for about the last year and it worried me a little.  I looked up images and warnings of skin cancer : 

Mine was of the "reddish patch" variety and a little of the "sore that will not heal". It kinda looked like a little scab after a pimple pops. 
It wasn't a mole and I was worried that the doctor would think I was a huge hypochondriac. My brother-in-law had a scary run-in with Melanoma last year (he's fine now) and I figured that the chances that doctor would openly mock me were slim- so I made the appointment.

While I was there, she had me strip down  (FYI- always wear your good bra and panties to the dermatologist) and checked me all over (even in my hair and between my toes). She was concerned enough to cut out the spot and send it to be biopsied.  I have 2 stitches and get to walk-around w/ a band-aid for a week.  She said I  may have a scar, but I'm hoping it will make me look more dark and mysterious and it beats the heck out of the alternative.

Bottom line:  I'm glad I took care of it.  Ladies, take care of yourselves-if you have any weird spots go get them checked out.

From the website:
"The survival rate for patients whose melanoma is detected early, before the tumor has penetrated the skin, is about 99 percent. The survival rate falls to 15 percent for those with advanced disease."

To learn more click here: http://www.skincancer.org/

UPDATE: That thing on my face ended up being no big deal and just what I thought it would be(Basal Cell) .  I had to go back and have a second procedure and a few more stitches along my eye socket. Stitches are out and I only have a tiny scar that is barely noticeable.

 Thanks for your warm thoughts and prayers and wear sunscreen.

8 comments:

  1. My friend just went through that exact same procedure. Glad you're okay!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I also have fair skin . . . we go to the derm. yearly . . . better to be safe than sorry! :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. So is it malignant? That is so scary. I am so paranoid about sun damage here because you go outside for 45 mins and you can get burned. Me no likey sun spots!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Glad you got it checked out. It's definitely better to be safe than sorry.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm waiting for the results, but I'm sure it will be fine. My mom's had a couple over the years and it shouldn't be any big deal.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Yikes! I'm glad you got it checked out. I hope everything is OK. Congrats on 100 posts, that was really fast!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Well done on getting it checked out, too many people ignore these things! Some days I almost want to go out the house with a bottle of sun cream and just spray people who are burning in the sun, who needs / wants a tan that badly!! Hope it all turns out okay!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thank you for sharing your post on your biopsy and helping share the importance of sunscreen. Please read my story on my skin journey and fight with skin cancer. I hope you will follow all my blogs, sit a spell, and read.
    Hope your doing well and everything turns out good. Be sure to update.
    Betty
    http://efudexskincancer.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete