Melanoma

It all began in September 2006. I had gone in for my routine 'girl physical' and asked the nurse practitioner to just take a look @ my moles for any that look concerning.  This is something that I periodically had done because my mom had asked me to.  I always thought it was just a routine thing but nothing would come of it.  The nurse was checking my breathing with the stethoscope on my back and noticed a small mole that she thought I should have removed.  She just happened to 'glance' at it at that moment.  I said ok.  I set up an appt with my family doctor after my appt.  I was going back in about a 1.5 months to have it removed.

Early November 2006 came and I went in with my mom to have the mole removed.  I wasn't worried about anything.  I just thought that it was precaution so that it wouldn't become anything in the future.  I wasn't worried about the results.  I didn't worry about anything.  My parents called me a week after my appt and told me that they received a call from my family doctor.  The results came back.  I had skin cancer.  I was so scared.  I just started crying.  I was told that I was going to have to have surgery to remove some skin where the mole was to see if it had spread at all.  They talked about having a skin graft taken from my thigh to use as skin on back, depending on how much they had to take.

Surgery was set up for late December 2006.  I graduated from college that month and then headed home for Christmas and now...surgery.  I had surgery before Christmas.  I was told they would not have to do a skin graft at all which made me feel so much better.  I had surgery and was told that the cancer had NOT spread and that they got it all off!!!!  I was elated.  I was going to have this big, ugly scar on my back...but I didn't care because I no longer had skin cancer.

Since December 2006, I go to a dermatologist every 6 months for skin check.  I check my lymph nodes every so often for lumps. (I found one lump and had surgery in May 2009, but it came back negative.)  I NEVER lay out in the sun.  I wear 50+ SPF sunscreen anytime I will be out in the sun.  I have pale color skin and am very happy about it.

The interesting thing about me getting skin cancer was that I was the one girl in my group of friends that wore sunscreen when out in the sun (only SPF 15..but it was something).  I hadn't been in a tanning bed since my first semester of college.  I feel like I took precautions...but the damage was already done. 

You may wonder why I am blogging about this today.  Well I went in for a routine skin check yesterday @ my dermatologist.  I have a few moles that concern me and the dermatologist will always look at those more closely with a device he has.  There was one on my pinkie finger that just appeared in the last 6 months.  He looked at and decided we should remove it.  I, once again, was not worried and still am not.  It worries me that I am not worried about it.  I get the results on Monday when I go back in to get my one stitch out.  I pray that it comes back negative.  I pray that the disease will never cross paths with me again.  I pray for all those out there currently battling the ugly disease. 

But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing.
Luke 9:11