May has been fraught with car repairs, a very pricey new crown for a cracked back tooth, and a precancerous mole removal/further biopsy. Although the car and tooth stuff have been expensive and frustrating, the mole situation has been far more disturbing.
I grew up and now permanently reside here at the shore. I’ve had multiple bad sunburns over the years, given that one of the big past-times here is, well, SUNBATHING. I’m not one to cook on the beach anymore, but I do enjoy getting a little color and relaxing by the water. Unfortunately (like many fair-skinned MSers), I burn very easily and need to be careful about my exposure.
One of my most vulnerable areas is my chest, since I have a sunroof which I love to keep open and this area also gets continual exposure while wading/swimming, sitting, or lying flat on a towel. I am not a very moley person, but I’ve noticed subtle changes recently with the appearance of a few new moles and one small, dark mole in particular. The mole in question was on my upper right chest, near my bathing suit strap. It was very small (a couple of millimeters in diameter), almost black in color, and in the last month I noticed it had developed an uneven border, which to my knowledge is a definite reason to get it checked out.
The dermatologist did a thorough head-to-toe skin exam and focused in on that black mole. Sure enough, she wanted it removed for a biopsy. So it was removed that day and sent in for testing. When I was phoned a few weeks ago, the office staff let me know that the biopsy turned up “dysplastic” cells. These are not yet cancerous, but they are abnormal in structure. Sort of a turning point towards melanoma, which is the deadliest form of skin cancer. So back to the dermatologist for a procedure to remove tissue (directly beneath where the mole had been) about a quarter’s size in diameter and about the same size in depth. This tissue would be sent back to the lab to be biopsied, revealing whether only the surface mole had precancerous cells, or whether the damage had penetrated the surface and gone deeper.
To make an already long story not too long: I had the tissue removal and second biopsy a couple of weeks ago and just got the stitches out today, after such MAD itching. UGH. My second biopsy came back normal— I’m thrilled and relieved—and now I’m gonna get some Mederma to work on the scarring. I need to return in three months for a follow-up and then have a yearly skin exam thereafter.
Final thoughts: I was dragging my heels for a couple of years getting in to see a dermatologist, even though I know I am a high-risk patient (skin type and amount of sun exposure.) Now I’m so glad I bit the bullet and just did it, because a simple skin exam (covered by most insurances) probably saved my life.
