Message Heard...Loud & Clear

I've gone from this (sorry about the quality, it's a picture of a picture)...

to this...

in just a few short years.

And no, I'm not talking about the toned thighs, arms and tummy (that's a whole other post). I'm talking about going from the tanning bed queen to the dermatologist's office for a follow up to an atypical biopsy.

As you can see from the more recent picture ~ the one with me contorted in all sorts of odd angles trying to get a picture of my own back ~ I have a good number of moles, freckles and other "sunkisses" as my Grandma George used to call them (yes I said GrandMa George, the name is yet another post in itself). Because of that abundance I try to go to the dermatologist fairly regularly and have my skinned checked. I've had numerous spots removed over the years, but didn't think any of them had been troublesome.

A couple weeks ago I went in for a regular body check and the PA removed two spots ~ one on my right thigh and one on my back. I didn't think anything else about it, I just assumed they would be normal like the others.

Well, earlier this week I told hubby I was going to start tanning again. I just look and feel so much better when I do. So on Tuesday I started calling around to local salons to find one that was open late enough for me to go after work. I wasn't having much luck at all, but decided I would keep trying. I was determined to tan!

That afternoon when I got home from work there was a message on our machine from the dermatologist's office asking me to call back. I called back yesterday morning and the nurse said one of my biopsies came back atypical, I needed to come back in today and have the doctor remove more of the spot to be biopsied again.

Here's where this wonderful thing called the internet gets me in trouble...the nurse gave me just enough information to be dangerous! I started looking up 'atypical skin biopsy' and got the range on responses...could be nothing, could be cancer, could be a mistake....everything. I decided not to worry ~ or at least to try not to worry ~ and just wait to see the doctor.

So hubby and I went in today and the nurse says, "Your biopsy was atypical with characteristics that can lead to melanoma."

HELLO!! The only thing I hear is 'melanoma'!

Then she says, "but the doctor can explain it better."

So the doctor comes in and tells us that my results were moderately atypical and while that can lead to melanoma sometimes it by no means means (means means?) that it is cancer.

OK, from now on I suggest just letting the doctor do the explaining, he's a whole lot better at it than the nurse!

For caution's sake he went ahead and did a larger biopsy and took off another spot to look at while we were there.

So, although today's results weren't bad (not great, but not bad) I still heard the message loud & clear and I've officially given up my search for a tanning salon!

On a much brighter note...

I'M GETTING ANOTHER NEPHEW!!