When does a precancerous mole become cancerous?
Dr.: You have a precancerous mole. H: Okay. What's the next step? Dr.: Make an appointment and I'll remove it. H: Okay. So when does a precancerous mole become cancerous? Dr.: When it does!
That was a discussion I had four years ago with my first dermatologist. But, there's a backstory to this conversation:
In March 2015, I was diagnosed with Melanoma. It was at stage one and caught early. The removal was fairly easy. Two hours and gone. I was lucky. My dermatologist told me that even though everything was good, we were going to keep a close eye on this. He wanted to see me monthly for the first six months after the surgery. Although I thought it might be overkill, I didn't argue. Being proactive when it comes to cancer is good!
The first couple of months went fine....at least that's what I thought. I'd pop in, he'd take a quick look, say everything looks okay and I'd be out of there in about ten minutes. I didn't realize that he was rushing me. I thought it was normal.
Month three is where it went downhill. That was when he found the mole on my head which led to the above chat. I asked why he couldn't remove it now. He said he was overbooked and I should make an appointment to do it soon. His receptionist set me up for the following week. No problem. I thought we were still all good.
I came in the next week. The dermatologist asked me why I was there since he just saw me last week. I reminded him about the mole and I was there to get it removed. He checked his watched, shook his head a bit and then proceeded to remove the mole. When he was done, I started to ask him about following up and he checked his watch again.
That was the last time I saw that dermatologist. When you're dealing with cancer, or really any health issue, you need someone who will take the time to answer questions and nurture you. It's been only three months since having cancer surgery. I'm a little fragile. I needed someone who would answer some simple questions and do some hand holding. I didn't need someone to rush me. Someone who made me feel like I was taking up too much of his time. I fired his ass!
It was on to dermatologist number two. Dr. Emily! If you've read my pieces about Melanoma, you're familiar with her. She's friendly, quirky, and thorough. She takes her time and has no problem answering any question. On our first meeting, she let me know how this relationship was going go. We were meeting every six months for a full body check. Cool! I had no idea that was something that was needed.
She was also great when I saw new moles and became neurotic. She let me know a lot of her Melanoma patients did the same thing. It was normal behavior. So we made a deal. I see her every six months and I get one freak-out visit in between. Works for me!
So, all of that leads up to yesterday. I had my six month body check in May. Every thing went fine. No problems. About a week later, I find a bump on my forehead. Isn't that the way it always goes? I knew it wasn't Melanoma. It looked more like a pimple. Small, hard, and crusty. I figured it would go away. I figured wrong. There were a couple of times I almost picked it off myself. I realized that wasn't a good idea.
After a month, I decided the bump needed to go. It was time for my "freak out appointment" with Dr. Em. I wasn't worried. I assumed she would freeze it off, look at another thing on my shoulder and we'd be done until December. Yeah, you know what happens when you assume!
H: I have this thing on my head (pointing it out). Dr. Em: I see it. Hmmm...we're going to have to biopsy this. H. Really? Dr. Em: Yep. But don't worry. I have a great Mohs surgeon if it gets to that. We'll know next week. H. Really? Dr.Em: Yep. But it's okay. I'll walk you through the entire procedure if it's needed. Not a big deal.
She also took a peek at a couple of other bumps and we chatted about my upcoming vacation to Mt. Rushmore. She was comforting, nurturing, thorough and totally professional. She never once looked at her watch. That's why I love Dr. Emily. Yeah, it takes forever to get an appointment because everyone else loves her, too, but I'll never leave for another dermatologist.
And now it's time for my public service announcement: . Even if you haven't had any kind of skin cancer, you should see a dermatologist once a year. . Be proactive. Do regular checks of your body for new moles. . When you find something that looks suspicious, check it out with your medical professional. . Don't assume anything. Better safe than sorry.
That's my skin cancer story...past and present. I'm sitting around with a bandage on my head; anxiously awaiting on the biopsy results. I know they won't be coming today. I won't be checking my watch.
Related Post: My dermatologist wants to be my Jewish mother
Type your email address in the box and click the "create subscription" button. My list is completely spam free, and you can opt out at any time.