I have had a spot on my right arm for years and years.
The first time I had it looked at was after N was born when I was in the early stages of my mental decline (although I didn't realize it at the time). I saw a dermatologist who said it was a porokeratosis.
I was convinced it was cancer, and I was going to die and leave my baby.
{Insert nervous breakdown here}
After M was born, maybe in 2011, I had my general practitioner look at it. He said the same thing as the dermatologist in '04.
Sometime between those two doctor visits I noticed it would get really red if I was out in the sun and didn't slather it with sunscreen. It would also get crusty at the edges.
This spring, with my 40th birthday coming this fall, I decided I really needed to start seeing a dermatologist every year for a skin screening. My mom and dad have had basal and squamous cell cancers removed more times than I can count. My dad had melanoma in 2007. Better to be safe.
I saw the dermatologist on Aug 16th. She said she really wasn't sure what it was so she wanted to biopsy it.
Today she called and said it is basal cell cancer, the best kind of skin cancer you can get (if you have to have any kind of skin cancer at all). There are 3 treatment options, and I chose the quicker one that will leave a scar. If it was on my face, I'd be visiting a plastic surgeon, but I don't care about scarring on my arm.
Strangely, I'm not worried or freaked out or anything by this which could be because 1. my medication really works great and/or 2. I've seen my parents go through this so many times it is just no.big.deal.
Welcome to middle age.
The first time I had it looked at was after N was born when I was in the early stages of my mental decline (although I didn't realize it at the time). I saw a dermatologist who said it was a porokeratosis.
I was convinced it was cancer, and I was going to die and leave my baby.
{Insert nervous breakdown here}
After M was born, maybe in 2011, I had my general practitioner look at it. He said the same thing as the dermatologist in '04.
Sometime between those two doctor visits I noticed it would get really red if I was out in the sun and didn't slather it with sunscreen. It would also get crusty at the edges.
This spring, with my 40th birthday coming this fall, I decided I really needed to start seeing a dermatologist every year for a skin screening. My mom and dad have had basal and squamous cell cancers removed more times than I can count. My dad had melanoma in 2007. Better to be safe.
I saw the dermatologist on Aug 16th. She said she really wasn't sure what it was so she wanted to biopsy it.
Today she called and said it is basal cell cancer, the best kind of skin cancer you can get (if you have to have any kind of skin cancer at all). There are 3 treatment options, and I chose the quicker one that will leave a scar. If it was on my face, I'd be visiting a plastic surgeon, but I don't care about scarring on my arm.
Strangely, I'm not worried or freaked out or anything by this which could be because 1. my medication really works great and/or 2. I've seen my parents go through this so many times it is just no.big.deal.
Welcome to middle age.
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