A few weeks ago, we met with my dad for quick dinner/gift exchange. Never being one to hold back on "how he really feels"- after pointing out that my toenails needed a little "attention" (In all honesty, that last week of school- I'm a disheveled wreck), he blatently asked, "What's that spot on your face?"
What it was was an eyesore... an annoying "blemish" that came out of nowhere and decided to stay put- right on my forehead. It started as a red bump, and slowly (but surely) morphed into a what appeared to be a shiny, somewhat bumpy (but partly indented, if that makes any sense) scar. That's what I assumed it was anyhow. I always heard that along with "old age" comes all sorts of "beauty marks".
Assuming this was the case, and hoping it would leave as suddenly as it arrived, I ignored it... for about a year.
My dad wasn't about to let me ignore it any longer. He {blatantly} said that it looks like it could be skin cancer (which he and his wife have both had, multiple times)~ and that he didn't want to "scare me" but he wanted to scare me enough to have it checked out. Well, he did. And I did.
I went in the following Tuesday, and on Thursday, had a biopsy. Friday, I was told that is was in fact skin cancer. Basil Cell Carcinoma. The good news is that this form of cancer "can be highly disfiguring if allowed to grow, but almost never spreads (metastasizes) beyond the original tumor site."
This afternoon, I'm going in to have it treated/removed with an outpatient surgery (Mohs surgery). My mom's husband has undergone this procedure and was able to explain the process, which was highly comforting.
This was a definite wake-up call. A call to wear sunscreen (no less than 30 spf) on a daily basis... A call to be more aware/respondent (45% chance of recurrence)... To see a dermatologist on a regular basis (they recommend every six months from this point forward)... And last but not least, [when it comes to your loved ones] a call to set formalities aside, and be blatant.
Just like my dad was.
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Holy crap, Torrie. Thank goodness for your dad's persistence and your willingness to listen! Take care of yourself and I'm off to slather on the spf.
ReplyDeleteyes… slather away!! all stitched up, and happy to report, it doesn’t hurt as bad as it did last night (except when i laugh, which i learned the hard way this morning).
DeleteAs soon as you said "shiny" I immediately thought of my basal cell carcinoma. So glad you had it checked! Moh's sounds much better than what I had. I have an enormous scar on my collarbone and have sworn that if I ever had to have another removed, I'd be sure to have a plastic surgeon do it. I get full body scans once a year, as 2 of my sisters have had melanoma. It is so important to be on top of skin cancer. Take care and hope the procedure goes well. xo
ReplyDeletei thought of you yesterday as i was getting my stitches (which i FELT much more than i would have liked btw!)… i told myself, it could be worse!
Deleteseriously, thank you for your message, and for sharing that about the full body scans, as well as your (and your family) history. it is amazing how common it is, and how clueless i was (which i also thought of as i was getting stitched up… in regards to having ignored the mark for so long, and having NO idea that it could be cancer).
Oh Torrie,I'm glad you're getting it checked out. I had two moles that had to be removed this year and it was alarming! Especially since I feel like I really avoid the son. Such are the great things that come with being fair-skinned Caucasian, I guess.
ReplyDeleteit is alarming... and even more alarming how many people are sharing personal stories of skin cancer and cancer scares. and i am the exact same way, which surprised me even more... not in the sun that often, and when i am 'laying out' (which i haven't done in a long time), i have my face covered! (don't like how it looks when tanned, so aside from not wanting to get burnt/wrinkles/skin cancer, i have no motivation to put my face in the sun!) ...your message makes me realize that i need to schedule an appointment to have a couple of moles removed, so thank you for sharing that.
DeleteI'm so glad it was caught! My dad needed a Mohs procedure as well and now I can hardly see the scar. You have scared me into action! Although I'm married to a doctor, I'm ashamed to say that I haven't had a skin check in a very long time. That is very bad for a girl who doesn't tan. I am definitely making an appointment soon! Thinking of you, Torrie...
ReplyDeleteyes! make an appointment! and thank you for telling me about your dad... since it is on my FACE;), as little scaring as possible would be preferable! he said that he was able to line it up with my hairline, which would cover it more. i hope so! (per our last conversation~ possible braces, and scar on forehead... ahhh~ old age;))
DeleteWow, Torrie I am so glad that you caught it. Thank goodness we have people in our lives who can be question us and like you say, be blunt. It's a good reminder for all of us. I am so good about lathering up the kids, but since my skin is a bit darker, I am guilty of not always wearing sunscreen. I find myself thinking in the morning about how long I will actually have my face in the sun that day, where I should just wear it everyday regardless. Plus I hear that we get a lot of the sun damage when we are driving. The sun is amplified through the windshield. So glad everything went well and that you are ok. xo
ReplyDeletethank you karina! yes, when we are driving… such a good point, and reminder.
DeleteNice post. I've had three of these, the latest one on my forehead (and I'm 36, sigh). And we live in the CA desert. And yes, I'm neurotic about sunscreen and wish I had been when I was younger, too. Thanks for spreading awareness. Erin
ReplyDeleteWow! I am so glad that you caught this early! Thank God for your dad bringing it up! I hope the surgery went well and that you are doing well! xo, Ashley
ReplyDeleteit did go well... thank you! i just went in yesterday for a follow up, and it is healing nicely. thank you for visiting! i finally got my feedly feed set up and i need to now learn how to work/read my way through it. lots of posts to catch up on (including yours)!
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