Melanoma Consult

Yesterday was a day of strange contrasts.  I headed off for my morning appointment with the melanoma specialist.  I was the first appointment, but it's still always a surprise to me when doctors are running on schedule--that rarely happened in South Florida.  In fact, they were so on schedule that I didn't have time to fill in the forms completely.

I filled in the forms, which then get entered into the computer.  It's a new-to-me health system, so once again, I answered all the questions.  Despite my extra weight and the melanoma, I'm fairly healthy, and for my age, I may be extremely healthy.  Or maybe the surprise of health care professionals upon hearing that I take no medications isn't an indicator of my health.

So, the good news is that my .3 mm melanoma and other biopsy results made the melanoma specialist decide that he doesn't need to examine/biopsy a lymph node.  The bad news is that there is still a 2-4% chance that the cancer has traveled.  As I wrote in an e-mail to family members, "I do realize that I don't really understand percentages the way that people who understand statistics do. So, if the melanoma doctor isn't worried, I'll try not to be."

I didn't know that a melanoma means that I now have a higher risk of other kinds of cancers which have nothing to do with skin cancers.  So it's important to keep up with all my scans, like colonoscopies and mammograms.  But it doesn't mean I need to increase the frequency of those scans.

The necessary melanoma extraction means that it can't be done in the office with a local anesthetic--the amount of local anesthetic needed would be toxic.  So I'll go to the hospital, and I scheduled the earliest appointment available, December 26.  

My melanoma consult was at 8:30, and my hair appointment was at 10.  As I suspected, I had enough time to get home, go to the bathroom, and head back out again.  But that was O.K., as I was also able to take my hearing aids out.

I got highlights and a cut--I decided not to talk about my melanoma.  We had surface level conversation about Christmas traditions, which was what I needed.  I came home by way of the public library and then settled in for the afternoon.

I was surprised to get the phone call from Mission Hospital, where the melanoma surgery will happen on Dec. 26, surprised that they called so quickly, and surprised because I just had a colonoscopy there in May.  Still, much can change, and so I diligently answered the questions.

I got a lot of hand stitching done while we watched mostly mindless, but fun TV:  Kitchen Nightmares, The Drew Carey Show, and old Saturday Night Live sketches.  Along the way, we ate some filet mignons that we got as an Omaha Steaks gift box--what a delicious Christmas present!  We also took a late afternoon nap, which I almost never do.  I am on holiday, so if I get off my sleep schedule, it's not as big a deal.

Of course, I'm not completely on holiday, so this morning I need to get a rough draft of my sermon done.  And before I do that, I'll go for a walk.  I need to spend some time thinking about healthier habits for 2026.  It's too easy for me to get off my walking schedule.