Don't Put Things Off

Just when things began to feel somewhat normal after Dad’s passing and I was getting back into a fitness routine… My fitness goals had to be put on hold again because I had to deal with an urgent health matter. In early July of 2015, I had a stage 2 melanoma excised from my upper arm, followed by a second excision two weeks later….

I was uninformed and therefore not too concerned about having my mole checked earlier. I thank God that another matter sent me to visit my doctor and while I was there, I casually asked her to look at the mole on the back of my left upper arm. She immediately took a biopsy and when the results came back, I was scheduled for surgery within the week. As unpleasant as this experience was, I am so grateful we were able to catch this before things developed any further, as they quickly can.

Being naïve about the whole thing made my first date with the plastic surgeon a breeze. After having gone through it the first time, I was nervous about going back.

My mole was the diameter of an eraser at the top of a HB pencil. It was an outpatient procedure, so I took a quick drive over the Strawberry Pass to the Trail Hospital. I always enjoy solo road trips as I can crank my CD of choice, open the sunroof, let the windows down, and cruise to the music.

The surgeon had a great bedside manner, we chatted about this and that. I didn’t even notice the handful of local anesthetic injections he prepared… I am terrified of needles. He kept my attention with his banter while he quickly performed a wide local excision, stitched me up, and just as quickly sent me on my way.

The day before I was heading back to have my stitches removed, I received a phone call from the doctor’s office informing me that the results from the tissue sample, removed from my arm, indicated that my margins were not optimal - a second larger excision would have to be done.

This time I knew what was coming and my stomach was in knots. I asked Barry to take me to my appointment. I downloaded Adele 25 onto my phone and packed my headphones. I was extremely nervous anticipating all those needles. As the second date required a larger excision, that meant more needles…  When we got there, I told the doctor I was going to close my eyes and crank my tunes, and he was to do what he had to and just let me know when it was all over. I felt this one.

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Just wanted to share some important info that I learned from this experience. Skin cancer is highly treatable if detected early. Check out the warning signs (ABCDEs) of melanoma, as well as the causes and risk factors at www.skincancer.org and please see your doctor ASAP if you have any concerns.