Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Sun causes cancer...who knew?

I'll make a long story short.3 years ago a scab showed up on my nose and didn't go away for months. So I went to a dermatologist out in Utah, he froze it and said something like, "That should do it, you are too young to have skin cancer but if it doesn't heal within a month, come see me." Well, it didn't heal and last month I finally went to a dermatologist out here. She did a biopsy on the spot and the results came back positive for basal cell carcinoma. Luckily basal cell carcinoma is the first stage of skin cancer and is a very slow growing cancer. Anyway, yesterday I went in for MOHS surgery and had the spot removed. While I was waiting to see the doctor I looked around the waiting room and started laughing. I was the youngest person there by forty years. I really am too young to have skin cancer. Oh, and enjoy all the close ups of my face:)
This picture shows my swollen left eye and my horribly waxed left eyebrow:) I'm missing the end of it.

I took this picture right after I took off the bandage and cleaned the stitches. Even though the cancer spot was a circle the Doctor cut and pulled my skin in a way that when it's healing I won't have weird tugging in places. Well, at least that's what we are hoping for.

The doctor said the damage was done years ago. It could have been done by a bad sun burn or repeated sun exposure. Even though I have been extra careful the last four years, chances of me getting it again somewhere near the site is likely. C'est la vie.

Right now I'm going to go the grocery store where I will get lots of stares while Mac tells everyone, "hurt nose."