beware of the sun
Two weeks ago I noticed a mole on my chest that would bleed a little after I got out of the shower. It was a mole that stuck out beyond the surface of my skin, so I thought I was possibly just rubbing it with the towel or possibly my shirt collar had been breaking it open a little. Either way, I decided it was wise to get it checked out by a Dermatologist, especially given my near-clear skin color and our family history.
The Dermatologist gave me a local anesthetic and took slices of the mole in question as well as a 'sister mole' she thought was worth checking out. It turns out the mole I was concerned about was benign but the mysterious 'sister mole' biopsy revealed it was cancerous. It is the most common and least threatening form of cancer (basal cell carcinoma) and doesn't sound too threatening with early treatment.
I have a follow up appointment in a few weeks for a surgeon to cut more out, to ensure it is all removed. Sounds like a pretty easy procedure, just very time consuming - they said they will cut and test, then cut more depending on results.
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Craig - I'm so glad you got this checked out. Smart move.
It can be human nature to ignore / deny these things, and it's wonderful that you didn't do that. It'll make a real difference. In fact, becoming aware of these issues now may actually add to your "normal" predicted full lifespan, because now you are tuned in to what to follow for preventive care.
Given UV radiation trends, some day I suspect all people will be dark(er) skinned than us, but until then doing what you're doing will suffice.
Your link looks right on. Mohs surgery is a real advance, and it sounds like that's where you're headed next. Please keep us posted - we'll be thinking of you and Grace.
The curse of pristine skin. I remember as a kid, when I would pass out on the baseball field from heat stroke (fairly often), someone always had a flask of whiskey in the stands and would pass it under my nose to bring me back . They just put me back on the field & went on with the game. I think that's closer to witchcraft then real medicine. We seem to have more dermatologists here than any other species of docs. right now. How times change. You might consider moonlighting as a medical journal photographer . . . your pics are too real for words. Family counts, and you've got a great one for support.
Oh, you should click on the photo for the REAL medical journal view. :)
Doh. Anon was me.
I forgot to enter name/URL after I was double checking how to spell "Mohs".
Not to be confused with "Moe's" -
http://www.clown-ministry.com/images/three-stooges-dizzy-doctor.jpg
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"A FLASK OF WHISKEY IN THE STANDS??" What league did you play in, Dad?
maybe start wearing a shirt to work in the summer? seriously, agree with Jeff - glad you got it checked out.
I think it would take me like 1 day to see a doc if i had a bleeding mole on my chest where my nipple should be. I actually had a mole checked out not too long ago, it was benign - well, actually the doc told me that it was a normal freckle (no test performed at all) and to please leave his office. He asked me to put away my medical reference book for a while so he can see patients with real issues. I told him to bite me and scheduled an appointment for the following week (I like to have a standing appointment on Fridays)
gross