In about June, I noticed a new mole. At the time, I thought it was a scab because it was flaking. Between my neck and my chest, I couldn't see it without looking in a mirror, and it was so small, I couldn't see it without my reader glasses I use for crochet now.
I didn't think to check it regularly. I'd forgotten last year's lesson that people my age shouldn't get new moles or new freckles. Busy summer ensued.
One of my friends had four moles removed about three weeks ago. One turned out to be a squamous cell carcinoma. That reminded me to check my newest mole.
It was pretty alarming to discover it had tripled in size in just two months, and it was still flaking, too.
I called my doctor, expecting to be asked for my availability that week. The receptionist asked if I could come in right away.
I think that was scarier than the mole!
An hour later, the mole was gone. My doctor informed me that if this one was like the last one, I would now have "a history" because I had two bad boys in less than a year and a half. She said I would need to be more diligent in checking for new moles because "these little guys grow on you." She also scolded me for waiting two months to do anything about it.
She said it looked like a squamous cell carcinoma, and she asked if I'm using sunscreen.
YES! It also was in a location that doesn't regularly get exposed to sunlight, especially when riding my bike. Plus, most cycling jerseys these days have built-in sunscreen.
About 20% of squamous cells are complete mysteries because they aren't caused by UV exposure. I want to believe that's the category into which this latest little chunk of skin falls.
Two days later, I was notified this baby was benign, one of my most favorite words these days. Time to celebrate!
I'd informed my parents of the mole the day it was removed. So I quickly fired off a B9 email to my dad, who initially thought I was talking about aircraft. He provided his research, which I found at the time to be most humorous.
"When I saw the subject, I couldn't remember there being a B-9. I looked it up, and there was indeed a B-9. The official nomenclature was the YB-9 Bomber in 1931. It was the first all-metal Bomber manufactured by Boeing, and it's nickname was Death Angel."
So I just had a Death Angel removed from close to my heart!!!
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Those kinds of death angels no one wants around. Great it was benign. Can't go waiting two months any more at your shore.
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