Sunscreen, It Does A Body Good

Well, life is still crazy. House appraisal hanging over our heads, we're about to start off our fifth(!) year homeschooling, we're at the ballet school a minimum of three times a week, our lawn mower is broken, our oven is broken, my computer was broken until today, and now on top of the kids' various special needs and medical appointments, now I have a medical drama of my own! Whee!

A long time ago, I got a zit looking thing on my nose. No biggie, except the teeny scab it left behind that never seemed to want to heal. I let it go on for way too long. (How long? I'm not going to tell you, but I heard "Why did you let this go on so long?" by more than one medical professional this past week, so we're just going to leave it at "long".) It would kind of heal, and then it would get gross again, and I'd just think to myself "Well, maybe I need to just try something else." Meanwhile, the scab was growing.

Finally, last week, I got an appointment with my PCM, and she took one look at it and put in a referral to dermatology. I don't know exactly what she typed into the system when she put in the referral, but I had our insurance company calling me the next day to book an appointment, and they got me an appointment less than a week later. So, yesterday I went to the dermatology clinic.

The dermatologist took one look and sent me to the biopsy room. The scab is on the bridge of my nose, and I proceeded to experience the joy of a ton of lidocaine being injected into my nose. So much so, that it trickled down and even my teeth were numb. The dermatologist came in and did a scrape biopsy, bandaged me up, and gave me directions on caring for the area, which is a lot bigger than the original scab. (I get to wear a bandaid and vaseline for weeks!) The pain hasn't been too bad, but my sinuses are pretty angry, and I can't bend over or the pain does get bad. Oddly enough, I've also lost the ability to yawn properly, because you move the bridge of your nose a lot when you yawn, and my body just won't let me do that. But anyway, he said the biopsy results should be back in the next few weeks, and he'll call me personally to let me know what they are.

So, here I sit. Pondering on the fact that the word "cancer" might be in that phone call. I am glad that at least if it is, they are suspecting basal cell carcinoma, which is highly treatable and usually does not spread. I'm also sitting here pondering the fact that I'm having to be happy about the fact that if it is cancer, it's "only" basal cell carcinoma. I'm finding myself very. . .accepting of the whole situation. I guess with my family history of various cancers, in the back of my mind, it's never been an "if", but a "when and what kind".

I've been doing a lot of reading and finding out that I'm pretty young to have this already. (if that is what it is, but chances are pretty high.) I have gotten a few sunburns as an adult, I think, but nothing bad, and I'm usually pretty good about sunscreening my nose. When I was a kid and teenager, though, I got a TON of sunburns. I remember being in high school marching band, and getting some particularly bad ones. On one occasion one of the band directors told me "You're nose is going to fall off some day." I guess I never though that some day would be this soon.

So. . .sunscreen people. I know we all always think it's something that will happen to someone else, but you know, here I sit, waiting for a phone call. . .