Rant #2,356: I've Got You Under My Skin

The other day, when I took off a day from this site to attend to a personal matter, I was not kidding; it really was a personal matter.

I had a 7 a.m. appointment--yes, that is correct, a 7 a.m. appointment--to see my dermatologist.

I have been going to see this doctor for about the past two years or so, after I developed a recurring "pimple" on my nose that simply would not go away.

This followed a couple of other "pimples" I had developed in other places that I had removed by my regular doctor, but the recurrence of such spots forced me to go to a skin doctor.

I had that particular lesion removed, and yes, it was pre-cancerous. I have since had other lesions removed; some are just what they call "skin tags," and others have been of the pre-cancerous variety.

This past Tuesday, I had a couple of what the doctor said he thought were pre-cancerous lesions on my scalp, along with one or two on my nose and face, and he also had to remove a more pronounced lesion on my upper right cheek, along with its much smaller counterpart on my left cheek.

I kind of look pock-marked now, but I would rather look that way than have skin cancer.

I have learned that some people are prone to develop these lesions, and I happen to be one of them.

Some of these are just simple viruses, which are what the skin tags are.

Others are potentially cancerous, and I have had several of those removed over the past two years.

The doctor uses what I call a freeze gun, and especially when it is being used on my scalp, it can hurt when the thing is being frozen, but it is not a hurt like getting something chopped off you, like the bigger potentially cancerous lesions are when they are removed.

It is kind of a murky, momentary hurt, not quite a pinch like when you get a shot from the doctor, but something like it, but again, in its own class of pain.

As far as the larger lesion that was removed from my cheek (not shown in the photo), the doctor said his office would get back to me in 10 days to two weeks to tell me about the analysis of that lesion. Hopefully, it was simply a lesion, nothing more, but if not, and it was pre-cancerous, I am glad that it is off me.

If it actually was cancerous, I am sure they will tell me what the next step is.

And I have to give kudos to my doctor friend who lives in South Carolina, who alerted me that I better get that thing checked all these months ago--and I finally did.

If all these lesions weren't enough for me, I also had another one on my upper chest which the doctor said was nothing but a very small wart, which he said if it bothered me, he could remove it right there. Since it doesn't bother me, I declined; enough freezing/cutting for one day.

So if you see me today, I might look like I was in some type of physical fight, because my cheeks are kind of pock-marked, but let me tell you, if all those things leave are scars, I am really, really happy.

Scars are one thing, cancer is another.

I can live with the scars, but cancer? No, on one needs that on their head, or in my case, on my face.

I am sure I will be fine, but understandably, it is upsetting.

I will keep you up to date on what is happening, and I am sure everything is going to be A-OK.

So that is the "skin-ny" on why I took the day off on Tuesday.

Speak to you again tomorrow.