Thursday, June 26, 2008

Cancer?? Get Outta Here!!

Like George (from Seinfeld), that is what I had hoped to hear from the doctor today. Instead I heard, "Hmm....what is that?" A few months ago I noticed a "growth" (I hate that word) on my ear. Immediately, I thought CANCER. But I didn't have insurance and waited until now to have it checked. I also had another reason to go--a hard lump on the side of my neck (it only hurts when I turn my neck). Might as well wait for as many ailments as I can before going to the doctor. The doc thinks the lump is related to all the bug bites I got at Antelope Island (thanks again to the vampire gnats--I've been itching like crazy all week!). He prescribed some antibiotics for that and said to keep my eye on it. As for the growth, the doc said they could shave off some and send it in to be examined, but didn't seem to think that was necessary (I guess...since he didn't do it). He said it was an odd place for a mole to grow, but he didn't think it was anything to worry about right now. Again, I was assigned to keep my eye on it.

For those of you who didn't know me in my teenage years, I was ADDICTED to tanning (in the sun or the tanning booth--wherever I could get it!). I was DARK. My brothers actually had an intervention one summer when we were on vacation. They told me it was kind of disgusting (they said it in a nice way). That shocked me a little, and I think I toned it down a bit after that. It wasn't until I dated a red head in college and heard the horror stories of his father's skin cancer, that I finally decided to stop. I've been nice and pasty ever since (except on my mission when I had no choice but be in the sun for hours and hours at a time). Part of me still yearns to tan, but I kind of think skin cancer might be inevitable for me, and it really freaks me out!! So, I'm good for now...but I have a good many suckers to keep my eyes on!!
This is a pic from our trip to Norway, when my brothers tried to help me. You can't really tell how I dark I am, but this is the best I could do without scanning pictures (I'm not in the mood).

4 comments:

Emily John said...

You always were dark, weren't you? My sis in law just had a HUGE scare with melanoma. Technically with how big and deep it was she should have been close to death luckily though everything is okay now. I need to have quite a few moles checked. I need to make an appointment soon.

Anonymous said...

do you have a larger version of that picture you could email me? :D

llcall said...

i didn't know about this tanning fetish. the things you learn years later...

Anonymous said...

My ancestors are from Norway. What an awesome picture! You did have a really good tan back then. I always wish I had my moms skin us shes really dark, and I'm pasty white. Oh well it didn't work out that way.