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April 2006
Posts: 1017
Location: Budd Lake, NJ | Good morning, everyone;
Last year at this time, the dermatologist removed 5 moles, 3 of which turned out to be basal cell, and led to a return visit for more "excavating."
Last month, I went back for my second annual inspection, and they removed 13--4 of which came back pre-cancerous, of the type which becomes melanoma, and 1 which was of a different type. This time, the follow-up excavating was much more invasive, and there's stitches in the back of one leg to prove it. My test results for all these finally back came back clean yesterday--they got it all--but I'll be going back next fall for more of same.
If you haven't already gone, please, please, don't put off this necessary exam any longer. Especially if you are of Irish descent--that beautifully clear milk-glass skin results in the highest skin cancer rates in the world (my grandma was half Irish, with said skin, and it's haunting me now.)
I have lost two friends to melanoma, and my sister was diagnosed with it at age 40; 13 years later, she goes every 6 months for skin exams, blood work, and more mole removal.
You have all become very dear to me, and I'd hate to lost any one of you to something that might have been prevented....
Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming...
--Karen |
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September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | Holy-Moley!!!
That is some good advise!! |
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April 2008
Posts: 2985
Location: Sydney, Australia | Here in skin cancer central, I go every year for my inspection. |
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November 2007
Posts: 1486
Location: Cincinnati | Thanks, Karen. I have my mole covered body checked out every year. |
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November 2004
Posts: 4413
| I had two removed this year.
Any creationist with a view on the purpose of moles feel free to jump in. |
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August 2005
Posts: 3736
Location: Sunshine State, Australia | I go every 6 months. Queensland has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world.
I wouldn't live anywhere else.
Well, maybe France.... or Canada. |
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December 2001
Posts: 10581
Location: NJ | my mom died from melanoma (sp)
been there done that
you do the same |
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August 2006
Posts: 3145
Location: Marlton, NJ | Thanks Karen - my wife has been bugging me to do that. It seems to be so much more common these days than in the past. |
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January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | I just had some Florida cut off, The stitches hurt a little. It will pass in a few days. We get checked every year. Still beats the snow. |
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September 2008
Posts: 14
Location: Yarmouth, ME / Houston, TX | Great advice. 3 years back, my wife was diagnosed with melanoma on her scalp. Extensive surgery including cosmetic where they had to lift her entire scalp to close the 2 inch diameter hole they made (not enough loose skin up there to pull it together). It was awful for her and scared the daylights out of me. She is now at inspections every 6 months after 3 years of every 3 months. I get inspected yearly now. |
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Joined:
October 2006
Posts: 5575
Location: big island | Originally posted by schroeder:
Any creationist with a view on the purpose of moles feel free to jump in. aww, man... you just caused an eruption of mocha all over my keyboard! |
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November 2003
Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Good to hear your tests came back clean, Karen.
And just for good measure a hilarious bit .... Mole |
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October 2007
Posts: 2711
Location: Vernon CT | Glad to hear you're "Clean" and Health. |
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November 2006
Posts: 3969
| Good news for you Karen, and thanks for the reminder. |
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November 2005
Posts: 4809
Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | Originally posted by muzza:
I wouldn't live anywhere else.Well, maybe France.... or Canada. What is this Sun damage of which you speak? I am not familiar with this 'Sun' word.
(South African family had two children with sun allergies. Moved to Prince Rupert a couple hundred miles north of here on the coast. Fewest number of uncloudy days in the WORLD there. Their kids can now play outside.....)
Around here, we don't tan. We rust. |
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November 2003
Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | . . . and gather moss. |
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March 2008
Posts: 2683
Location: Hot Springs, S.D. | Glad you're doing OK, Karen. I had one removed from my neck a few months ago. I've always been prone to sun poisoning and have never had a tan in my life, but I did get one extremely bad burn as a child. That's all it takes. |
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December 2003
Posts: 13983
Location: Upper Left USA | "Any creationist with a view on the purpose of moles feel free to jump in."
My theory is that Cain received the first one. Just after that Eve started to grow a little mustache. It's been out of control ever since...
Thank you Karen! |
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Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Well, I am back to the next six months of No-Sun...
(Which is why there are vampires hiding in the Redwood Kingdom)
Now I have one more reason to appreciate it.
Good to know that you are Okay, Karen. :cool: |
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March 2007
Posts: 840
Location: CA | A rare case when making a mountain out of a 'molehill' is appropriate. Thanks for the tip.
I've been there, done that, got the scars to prove it. Mom's Italian blood gave me pretty nice skin (female friend have actually expressed jealousy on this count), but I'm getting to the point where I'm really starting to spot. Yeesh.
Here's a bit of trivia I read once: where do most age spots and skin cancers show up in Americans? Your left arm, which hangs out car windows and thus gets more sun than most other body parts. One would assume that the opposite is true of English folk and others who drive on the 'wrong side' of the car.
More reading — During my metaphysical period, I once read where things like moles and birthmarks represent wounds you received in previous lives. I once knew a guy who had several of them in an almost perfectly diagonal line across his belly and chest. Almost like the way machine gun bullets would hit you. Weird.
I have no idea what any of this has to do with guitars, but it was a fun intermission on the day. |
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OT An Important Medical Public Service Reminder...
