Molectomy
I wrote this post two years ago and last week during dinner with my doctor, the topic of melanoma came up again.
She agreed to add signs of melanoma and resources to the end of the post if I reran it. Our hope is to get the word out about how serious skin cancer can be if left untreated.
Here is the original post. Below is a note from Dr. Becky. And some resources. Please share.
Molectomy
I stood in a movie theater lobby during a recent Mom’s Night Out catching up with people I hadn’t seen in a while. One of the moms was my friend Becky.
Becky also happens to be my doctor.
She leaned against the wall, alternating her gaze between my face and my arm.
Chills rose along my neck. “What?” I asked. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
She leaned forward and touched a small brown spot on my upper arm. “I think you need to come have that mole removed. Soon. We can shave it right off.”
“Like with a razor blade?” I shuddered.
“Yeah. No big deal.”
“I think it’s good,” I said. “Let’s go out for dinner and hang out instead.”
She raised her eyebrow. “Call my office. Come in Monday.”
All weekend I thought about that razor blade. And cringed. My abs went from a no-pack to six-pack on anxiety alone.
I asked my husband to come with me and hold my hand.
“I have to work,” he said. “Sorry.”
I whined to my kids.
My son, who gives himself nightly injections, laughed. “You’re a big baby.”
“I can sing an entire musical to take your mind off it,” my daughter offered.
When Monday arrived, I went alone. Well, except for panic and fear. They attached themselves to my legs and wouldn’t let go.
Slumped in a generic vinyl chair, I paged through Fit Pregnancy, even though I hadn’t been pregnant since 2001, and wrung clammy hands together while I waited for my name to be called.
The nurse finally peeked her head out from the back and summoned me to the exam room. With maniacal methodology, she set out each piece of equipment on a tray, prepping for my mole excavation. Then left me. Alone. With razor blades and other sharp-ended instruments.
My hands shook. My back got clammy. My toes clenched.
I eased onto the crunchy white paper and closed my eyes. It’s no big deal. I can do this.
Yeah, right.
“Oops.” The nurse returned pushing a box on wheels. “Forgot this.”
“What is that?” I jerked up.
“It cauterizes the wound when she’s done.” She smiled and pulled the door shut.
What? My tiny mole hole would need to be cauterized? Like burned?
I could sneak out. If I hurried. I sat up, already more than attached to the idea, but—
Dr. Becky walked in. “Ready?”
“No.” I held up my hands. Both more than a little shaky.
“We’ve got numbing spray and Lidocaine,” she said. “You won’t feel a thing.”
“Fine. But next time we get together, we’re doing something fun. Something that doesn’t involve you cutting. Or me crying.”
The procedure went fine. Even after Super Doc found another suspicious mole on my back and I ended up with a double molectomy.
True to her word, I didn’t feel a thing.
Sometimes anticipation of an event feels worse than the actual event. Worst case scenario? Real life plays out exactly like my imagination. But that’s not usually what happens.
What usually happens is I waste hours of time and energy dreading something that turns out to be a non-event.
I think that’s why God tells me not to go there.
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life…Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself” (Matthew 6:25, 27, 34 NIV).
I can’t change the outcome of an event with worry. But I can drive myself crazy with dread. And I often do.
God has a better use for my time than worry. “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33 NIV).
I think I lost a good twelve hours of my life agonizing over what turned out to be a painless, five-minute procedure. Cauterizing and all.
However, I still may think twice about going to see another movie with Dr. Becky.
Or, maybe I’ll just wear a sweater.
FROM DR. BECKY:
Several years ago, while hanging out with my brother in our hot tub, I looked over at his arm and noted he had changes in a mole that favored a melanoma.
His comment was, “Yeah, it’s been that way for a few years.”
He immediately had the melanoma excised. Luckily, it hadn’t metastasized and we caught it in time.
Unfortunately, many moles aren’t caught in time. Especially moles that don’t have the classic signs of melanoma.
Becky Chandler, MD
SIGNS TO WATCH FOR: Seek medical attention if you see any of the following. Remember, it’s better to be overcautious than to let something go.
Asymmetry. If one side of the mole is larger than the other.
Irregular or jagged borders.
Color changes within the mole or surrounding the mole.
Increasing size or diameter of a mole.
Changes in elevation. If the mole was originally flat but is now raised.
The ugly duckling—the mole or freckle that isn’t like the others.
WAYS TO PREVENT MELANOMA:
Wear sunscreen with SPF 15-30.
Reapply sunscreen every 2 hours.
Wear protective eye gear and clothing.
Avoid tobacco products.
RESOURCES:
Do you have an experience to share?
2 Comments
Jennifer eaton
I’ve had six biopsies and three were cancer, leading to surgery. I’d like to add that the sooner you identify skin cancer, the easier the surgery will be. My first two surguries were done in one round. The third I waited too long and had three rounds of surgery over the span of four hours. And fifteen external stitched and goodness knows how many internal stitches. Do yourself a favor and get checked sooner than later.
Thanks for the reminder post Lori!
Lori Freeland
Thanks for sharing your story.