09-06-2016, 07:51 PM
About a month ago I was applying sunscreen for a round of golf when I discovered what felt like a blister on the back of my neck. After a week, it was still there, and I had Claudia look at it. She said, “You're going to the Doctor.”
Doc said he wasn't sure what it was, but he'd remove it and send it to the lab. A week later, he called and said, “You have a melanoma.” He set me up with an immediate appointment with a dermatologist, who decided to excavate the area some more. He removed a divot (lob wedge rather than 9-iron) and stitched me back up. So I now have a “Z for Zorro” scar on the back of my neck!
Today, I went back to have the stitches out and get the final lab results. All clear. They took a couple samples of odd moles but were confident they'd turn up benign.
I have to go back for regular head-to-toe checkups of all my various moles and such, but that's all.
I didn't want to
post here with the first news, as I was positive all would be well. We caught it about as early as it can be caught, and the prognosis was excellent from the start.
Moral: if you find some odd spot on your skin, see your doctor. Immediately.
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Doc said he wasn't sure what it was, but he'd remove it and send it to the lab. A week later, he called and said, “You have a melanoma.” He set me up with an immediate appointment with a dermatologist, who decided to excavate the area some more. He removed a divot (lob wedge rather than 9-iron) and stitched me back up. So I now have a “Z for Zorro” scar on the back of my neck!
Today, I went back to have the stitches out and get the final lab results. All clear. They took a couple samples of odd moles but were confident they'd turn up benign.
I have to go back for regular head-to-toe checkups of all my various moles and such, but that's all.
I didn't want to
post here with the first news, as I was positive all would be well. We caught it about as early as it can be caught, and the prognosis was excellent from the start.
Moral: if you find some odd spot on your skin, see your doctor. Immediately.
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