Good news; but no added value ;)

Thank goodness today finally arrived.  Doing research, looking up cases, worrying, planning without knowing the plan, would finally be a thing of the past.  I was anxious to see the plastic surgeon to see what his plan was for my face, for my skin cancer.

His first words of "oh just a small nodule" were reassuring and after him having me scrunch my forehead, multiple times, look up at him with my face pointed down (to scrunch it at him again), he drew an eye shaped mark around the basal cell nodule and assured me that it will be a simple excision, in his office (yeah!).  His aim is to have the scar eventually look like just another line in my forehead.  However, yes, for a short time one eyebrow will be raised; but he assured me that as things relax it should come back into line.( Perhaps I'll have concentrate on this picture's look again?)  When I asked him the "what if they find at the lab that the borders aren't all clear?" he simply replied that it would be a conversation we would have if indeed that happened.  However, he felt pretty good about what the plan of action is. Bad news:  I was unable to convince him to give me some "added value" with a breast augmentation at the same time...at least not yet ;)

Two weeks from tomorrow, a chunk of skin will be removed on my forehead, down to the muscle.  I feel fortunate that the procedure should be quite simple. He wouldn't tell me an estimate of the number of stitches that would be needed, probably not wanting to scare me.  I however, assured him that I had him beat no matter how many he used.  When he asked how and I told him about my back surgery for scoliosis, he said he definitely wouldn't use that many stitches. I'm in hopes that this surgery will be the last of anything to do with this recurrence.  However, I know from the sun damage I have had over the years I will probably be facing other surgeries over the course of the years to come.  A relative of family friends is not so lucky this time around.  She has been battling basal cell carcinoma for years.  The current area of recurrence is on the top of her head.  She has had it excised, it won't heal, and now she is looking at a skin graft on top of her head.  Skin cancer isn't fun, it isn't pretty and can become an ongoing battle.  Why not battle the sun and it's rays BEFORE the damage is done?

In updating my company's HR manager about what the process will be, she was very relieved for me.  In talking about preventing skin damage she told me she is the whitest person around and that she "embraces her whiteness".....smart smart lady. 

Many friends are telling me that they are using their sunscreen because of this blog....YEAH!  Please, don't YOU forget to use your sunscreen today, too!