Not So Good News

  I went to the doctor recently to see about having a cyst removed from the top of my head. While I was there I also had the doctor look at a small bump that appeared on the side of my nose a while back. A simple act like scratching my face caused it to bleed, and that's not normal, so I was concerned. He shaved it off and sent it for a biopsy. Turns out I was right to be worried. The doctor's office called today to say that the bump turned out to be a basal cell carcinoma. In other words, it was cancerous. The good news is, basal cell carcinomas 'almost never spread to other parts of the body and become life threatening'. I have an appointment tomorrow to have the original head lump removed, and an appointment for April 8th to have the basal cell thingy removed. I'm going to ask if they can switch the dates though, so I can get rid of this thing and feel safer, and know I'm ok. Also, they already cut a chunk out of the side of my nose, so it only makes sense to do it now before this heals, so it will only be one healing and scar less. They said both would take about a half an hour, so it's not like they need more time than they already had set aside for me.
  Basal cell carcinoma is caused by sun exposure. Since the kids aren't little anymore I don't have to spend time outside with them as they play. (These days we can't even get Ivy to leave the house!) I really only go out in the sun to hang laundry, yard sale on summer weekends, and go to the flea market with Lori 3 or 4 times a year. I don't normally get sunburned, and have had few sun burns in my life. I am fair skinned, being a red head, but I've never had a problem with burning. In fact, I tan if I'm not careful. I'm going to have to make sure I start wearing sunscreen all the time and start wearing my hat on a more regular basis. (I did start wearing one to hang laundry, but I have been bad about doing it all the time.)
  I should be ok. I may have a big scar on my face, but with this face that isn't much of a loss anyway!