(no subject)
i've been elusive lately.
summer has been fantastic, with an interesting little blip of oddness. i'm explaining it not out of wanting sympathy or any of that garbage, but as more of a "this could happen to you, so please dont be stupid" message. i didnt want to tell anyone about it until it was cleared out and over, so literally less than 5 people outside of my family have known about this. even now, i dont really want to say anything, but i figure it might be useful to hear.
here's the dillyo.
about a month ago, i had a mole removed on my chest near my collarbone that hadnt been there two years ago. it just grew over the past couple years. both of my grandmothers have had some spots removed, and one was cancerous. (she's fine.) i, being the pasty kid i am, have kept an eye on the couple moles i was born with and have always been very good about sunscreen. anyways, the removed mole was routinely biopsied, and came back to show, surprising me and the doctor, that it was a melanoma, i.e., the worst type of skin cancer. luckily, it was removed early on and it was a fairly superficial cancer according to the lab.
next step: full body check to inspect anything else suspicious on my skin. that went fine, and i'm going to be having routine checks for the rest of my life in case anything else pops up.
finally: today was the surgery. more of the area surrounding the melanoma was removed as n extra precaution. i am home and all is well. i have stitches for the first time in my life, and they're pretty badass. it's going to add to my formidable street cred. i have a prescription for heavy painkillers, but i cant see them as necessary.
as a result, i have to leave for work at camp a couple days later (my initial contract had me starting tomorrow).
it was a scary couple weeks. really. i laughed it off most of the time, but i'm 20 years old. i'm too young and careful about my skin and overall health for something like this to happen. it is all good now, with the early catch and all. no weird "i'm sorry" messages or anything, bc really, i'm fine and they arent necessary. just PLEASE wear sunscreen. please please please. i've had my little brush with mortality (to top off the perfect year haha). just take care of yourselves and keep an eye on anything funky. please. these things do happen. xoxoxo
summer has been fantastic, with an interesting little blip of oddness. i'm explaining it not out of wanting sympathy or any of that garbage, but as more of a "this could happen to you, so please dont be stupid" message. i didnt want to tell anyone about it until it was cleared out and over, so literally less than 5 people outside of my family have known about this. even now, i dont really want to say anything, but i figure it might be useful to hear.
here's the dillyo.
about a month ago, i had a mole removed on my chest near my collarbone that hadnt been there two years ago. it just grew over the past couple years. both of my grandmothers have had some spots removed, and one was cancerous. (she's fine.) i, being the pasty kid i am, have kept an eye on the couple moles i was born with and have always been very good about sunscreen. anyways, the removed mole was routinely biopsied, and came back to show, surprising me and the doctor, that it was a melanoma, i.e., the worst type of skin cancer. luckily, it was removed early on and it was a fairly superficial cancer according to the lab.
next step: full body check to inspect anything else suspicious on my skin. that went fine, and i'm going to be having routine checks for the rest of my life in case anything else pops up.
finally: today was the surgery. more of the area surrounding the melanoma was removed as n extra precaution. i am home and all is well. i have stitches for the first time in my life, and they're pretty badass. it's going to add to my formidable street cred. i have a prescription for heavy painkillers, but i cant see them as necessary.
as a result, i have to leave for work at camp a couple days later (my initial contract had me starting tomorrow).
it was a scary couple weeks. really. i laughed it off most of the time, but i'm 20 years old. i'm too young and careful about my skin and overall health for something like this to happen. it is all good now, with the early catch and all. no weird "i'm sorry" messages or anything, bc really, i'm fine and they arent necessary. just PLEASE wear sunscreen. please please please. i've had my little brush with mortality (to top off the perfect year haha). just take care of yourselves and keep an eye on anything funky. please. these things do happen. xoxoxo