Another Cancer

sunnyaz said:

Hi Hannah and Eileen
Thanks again for your positive attitude. Got the Pathology report. It does state that it is in situ, so I guess this is good news. I go to the Dermatologist/Oncologist on Tuesday for consult. Then he will set up the MOH's surgery. This is gonna be so much fun ;( I did some research and found out that my mom had melanoma on her back many years ago and I never knew about it. Also spoke to my sister who tells me that my Grandmother (on my mom's side) DIED of Melanoma. I remember she had to have one of her eyeball's removed about sixteen years ago just before she died. I wasn't aware that Melanoma was in our family history. This is a really good argument for knowing family history. So the other bad news is that my sister (the one that told me about my mom and grandma's melanoma) recently started Chemo for Triple Negative HER 2 Breast cancer. It's the worst most aggressive type. She tells me that it is also hereditary but we do not have any documented cases in our family until her diagnosis. OMG, shoot me now and put me out of my misery! I am definitely keeping up with the Baking Soda treatment I read about. It can't hurt and might fight anything that has metastasized from my Thyroid or Melanoma.
Blessings,
Julie-SunnyAZ

sunnyaz said:

OUCH!
Okay, so I go in for what I thought was a consultation and the room is set up for a surgery. My first question is, "am I having a procedure today?" The RN says, "you didn't know?" I said, "no, but it's okay because that saves me a $35.00 co-pay if I don't have to come back." They tell me to strip down to my underwear and bra and gave me towelette's to wipe off my make-up. The LPN explained that he would do a full body check because cancer grows even where the sun don't shine. UGHHHH.....I did get a small hospital gown but had to ask for a paper drape to save some embarrassment. My legs are hairy and as I am sitting there almost naked with hairy legs and homely looking with no make-up; this really HOT young doctor walks in. I am just devastated and I am stuttering and stammering over my words and couldn't stop starring at him like a love sick puppy. He is super nice and makes conversation with me about which doc's I work for (we refer patients to him all of the time). He starts to draw with the purple pen a huge diamond shaped figure around my biopsy site. My eyes got huge and I asked him if it needs to be that big. He said that if I want he could do it smaller but there would be a possibility I would have to come back if there were any margins. Sometimes cancer can not be seen in the cells surrounding the area. Although I wanted to go back and see him just to gaze into his eyes, I didn't want to be cut again so I said, "cut me Mick! I like you and all but I don't want to come back for another slicing." He then did my FULL BODY INSPECTION! I kept thinking to myself "you are still a size four, you are still a size four-psych!". He checks my lymph nodes under my arms and in my groin which are my most ticklish spots and I giggle and squirm. This makes him smile however and he said that it was cute. Maybe this made up for the ripples on my butt and my hairy legs. He ended up taking a small site from my back and the arm incision was about three inches long from the beginning of my elbow to about middle of my forearm. Now, I have seen this done to other people and I assist in these types of surgery all of the time but I could not bear to watch it being done on me for fear I would embarrass myself by passing out and peeing all over myself.

The entire arm incision only took about thirty minutes. He was really fast and very good. Then he said goodbye, nice to meet you and thanks for all the referrals and was gone as quickly as he rode in on his white horse. Prince charming had left the room. But, at 9:45 last night he called me to see how I was doing. I couldn't believe it! Again, I was at a loss for words. All I could spit out was that I am doing okay except for the Coban wrap itching and irritating me. I told him how sweet it was for him to call and thanked him for it.

Last night I took a Vicodin before bed because I knew that when the lidocaine wore off I would be hurting. At 3:00 am the lidocaine and the Vicodin wore off and I was cussing out Prince charming and the horse he rode in on. Took another Vicodin and was rudely awakened again at 8:40 am by the throbbing and my balloon sized shiny hand.

The good news is that he said this should be it. Just hoping the one on my back comes back with clear margins or isn't cancer at all. I am wearing SPF 50 on my arms, chest face and neck everyday. I hear they now make an SPF 100 so I will be seeking out a bottle soon. If I do get to see him again (bittersweet) I hope to be a size four and I WILL be waxed and shaved before my appointment.

Blessings and thanks for all of your support ladies!
Julie-SunnyAZ