A Request for Information

Today was an interesting day with regard to one's skin.  My wife had an appointment with the dermatologist this afternoon.  I've been off work all week having a staycation and watching my kids between grades (they're in year-round school and get only one week between grades).  We all offered to take my wife to the appointment as an opportunity to get out of the house and hit Starbucks afterwards for some iced frappacinos! 

When we arrived at the doctor's office, the kids broke out their iPods, thus becoming the iZombies I've grown to accept.  My wife picked up a copy of "Carolina Woman" magazine and pointed out a really good article on sunscreen (I may share some of that on my Facebook page).  Earlier in the week, I was contacted by UV Skinz to give them a call and talk about my blog a bit.  After my wife was called into her appointment, I figured what better opportunity to discuss melanoma awareness than on the phone from a dermatologist's waiting room!  I placed the call, which lasted about 30 minutes.  I'll share more on this conversation in a later blog, but I will say that many folks listened in with great interest.

At the end of the call, my wife came out from her appointment.  She had scheduled her apointment to address her rosacea, and also to follow up a previous biopsy on her back of a dyplastic nevi.  The mole was shaved and sent to pathology about 3 or 4 months ago with negative results, and was a little tender still to the touch.  What she discovered was that the nevi was growing back.

It's located on her left shoulder blade and her dermatologist has recommended that a plastic surgeon cut it out and send off.  It wouldn't be a mild shaving, but a true cutting out..."with stitches" as my wife whispered.

My initial reaction was to encourage her to arrange an appointment right away.  But I could see that she's scared.  The fear is not so much for any potential towards skin cancer, but mostly for the surgery itself.  She has a lot of questions and does not like the prospect of being cut into to a point of requiring stitches.  She's a daycare teacher and she's worried that her ability to lift will be hampered.  And she's worried about the pain.

As she goes off to work tomorrow, I told her that I could call the plastic surgeon's office and ask some questions.  I've encouraged her to do the same...but I think her fear is blocking her from potentially making such calls.  I asked her if I could convey her situation in my blog and Facebook page...perhaps ask others to share their similar stories.

So here I am.  My wife Kim (Kim, meet the BITNP readers...readers, meet Kim) is wondering about the following.

• Does such an extraction of a dysplastic nevi hurt?  Do they numb it?  Are you awake during the procedure?
• What is the recovery like?  Do you have to stay off work for a while, and for how long?
• What kind of stitches are used?  Does it hurt to get them out?
• Are there any complications involved?
• Should she have the procedure done?  (I know the answer to that...but I'm asking anyhow).

If you'd like to answer here, that's fine.  You may also answer on my Facebook page...or sent a reply to my email address at fightmelanoma@live.com

I thank you...and Kim thanks you as well.

Mrs. BITNP

I don't like this one

I’ve not really introduced my family to the BITNP gang.  I suppose I tend to keep my personal life private…even though this is a forum where many folks share some pretty personal stuff.  Still, I try to keep this blog related to Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness with occasional personal stories of my brother Jeff who inspired this campaign.  But today, I’ll take a moment to talk about my wife Kim.

I won’t share much…she’s shy that way and would probably rather me just keep quiet.  But she’s allowing me to share a recent experience.  Like me, she’s blonde-haired, fair-skinned and rather “moley”…and she also used to lifeguard during the summers years ago.  I guess in this case, likes attract. 

I had encouraged her to see her dermatologist for quite some time.  She’s had acne and Rosacea issues in the past, but I was more concerned about a few spots on her back and arms.  (I wonder from where I got that paranoia?)  She finally went for an appointment about 2 weeks ago.

She told me in the evening that a “spot” had been cut out and that the doctors were taking a look at it.  Having read many of your accounts, I looked forward to receiving a simple voicemail or letter that said everything was fine.  What we got was a voicemail to call the office back.  Naturally, I got a little worried.

It turns out it was an atypical mole…a dysplastic nevi.  As many of you know, this is something “to keep an eye on”…and I know that many of you simply have the doctor cut it out.  We trust this dermatologist, so for now, we’ll keep a very close eye.  I took photos and measurements of several moles and she has a return visit scheduled in three months.  This seems aggressive behavior for “a mole”…but I’m glad it’s being taken.

Kim doesn’t share the same interest or fascination with Facebook and online networking as I…so she’ll probably rarely be online.  But I told her that this group of individuals…fellow Molemates and BITNP’ers …is one of the best groups of people from whom to gather info and support.  Still, I’ll most likely be her voice here and I hope that I won’t have much to say.  I hope it continues to be “just a mole.”