"don't worry, 'bout a thing. cause every little thing, gonna be all right." by Bob Marley

i saw the special "mohs surgery trained dermatologist" yesterday. thankfully, he is willing to do the surgery in the office. sometimes, if the cancer is larger, in a tricky place, etc, they will send you to the plastic surgery center at Baptist hospital in winston -salem. i was afraid they might want to do that. the lesion is on my face is  between my nose and eye, a little closer to my eye. but the dermatologist seemed confident that he could do it without any problems. he told me that i would be in the office for a few hours, due to the process, and that i would have stitches and most likely a black eye. my surgery is scheduled for monday, october 10th. just in time for halloween! actually, i am hoping that i will have had my stitches removed before halloween- i forgot to ask. the scar takes a little while to heal up, so i guess i can dress up as the bride of  Frankenstein again this year.

i was a little more "concerned" yesterday at the dermatologist than i thought  i would be. it was just a consultation, so i went by myself. this is a basal cell carcinoma, not a melanoma, or even a squamous cell for goodness sake. basal cell can spread to tissue and bone, but only if you let it go for a long time. my carcinoma is a relatively new kid on the block. but it is STILL CANCER! i am tired of my adventures with cancer over the past six years, and i told the dermatologist that this is it for me. thyroid cancer in 2010, squamous cell on my leg in 2012, breast cancer in 2015, now basal cell on my face  this year. enough already. the doctor gave me a little pamphlet on basal cell carcinoma. here is a list of the factors that increase a person's risk of basal cell carcinoma:

1) pale, light colored or freckled skin.  CHECK

2) blond or red hair.  CHECK

3) blue, green, or gray eyes. CHECK

4) a family history of skin cancer. CHECK

5) a weakened immune system . another  CHECK

6) using tanning beds or other indoor tanning services. NOPE, not this one.

but with 5 out of 6 risk factors for developing basal cell skin cancer, i guess it was kind of inevitable.

now what? well, as i said, i told my body " no more cancer!". and of course, i will see my dermatologist now every six months just to be sure that nothing sneaks up on me, so to speak. the thing to remember, as i said before, it early detection and treatment. if you are afraid to go to the doctor, please remember that skin cancer has to be treated in some way, and better when it is smaller and contained, versus later on when it has gotten larger and more aggressive.

per my usual way of coping, i will freak out for a couple of days, then i will be fine. i have a plan, and i know that "everything is going to be all right." i have a lot of support from my family and friends and i am very thankful for that. and as a bonus, i have the perfect outfit for halloween this year.