For me...it was a trip to the dermatologist for a skin cancer screening. I've been putting this one off for WAY too long. I don't know why. Well, that's not true. I was scared. I'd just been through two unrelated surgeries in the past year, a divorce, a move and I guess I just wasn't prepared to fight another fight. But then I realized how ridiculous my logic was. Early detection of skin cancer is so treatable. Ignore it...live in denial...find out I have some kind of skin cancer that was undiagnosed...may not live. Okay. Enough said. You don't have to convince me anymore.
I have a responsibility to myself and my family to be a mature adult and take charge of my health. And so after some **gentle** daily nudging and realizing that my dad had been diagnosed with a melanoma a few years back...I made the appointment. I have always had moles and freckles all over my body. My parents would refer to them as my chocolate chips or tell me how beautiful I was because of all my beauty marks. I never loved them but accepted them as part of me. Now that I'm getting older some of them are changing and new ones are appearing. One in particular made me find a reputable dermatologist and got myself in for a screening.
I had one very suspicious mole biopsied. The results came back today to show severely changing cells. Not cancer yet was what I was told. Good. I now have to have the entire thing excised and biopsied again. And since it's on my neck (in the picture it's the one closest to my chin...with a couple stitches) I'll have a pretty apparent scar..which I could really care less about.
I'll be going back several times to complete the charting of everything and maybe more biopsies. But I am SOOOO grateful for the people in my life who have been encouraging me to get my butt to the dermatologist. It may have saved my life.
What are you putting off? Go ahead...gather the courage that I know you have....and DO IT!!! Whatever it is, I promise you, you WILL feel better facing it and getting it done.
That's my Public Service Announcement for the day! I'm off to pack for the HEAT! Heading to Arizona to see Tyler & the Bruins play ASU in Tempe, AZ. I'd better go find a good hat to block all those strong desert sun rays! :)