Melanoma Removal Report

I am happy to report that my melanoma removal seems to have gone well.  In fact, in some ways, it couldn't have been much better, if one must have a melanoma that has to be removed by surgery in a hospital.

My melanoma was shallow (.3 mm) but wide, so it couldn't be removed in the office--the amount of anesthetic in an in-office procedure would be toxic.  So off we went to the hospital yesterday morning for our 5:30 a.m. check in.

The check in went quickly, and by check in, I mean the getting ready for surgery, all the stuff that happens before the actual surgery.  There were lots of health questions and meeting the various people who would be part of the surgery.  There was the hooking up of various machines to my body.  It all went fairly quickly, and I had an hour to sit and wait.

I was impressed by all the people who seemed both professional and kind.  I was struck by how many people it takes to do a surgery that's not very complicated.  I was also struck by how many items were thrown away after the surgery.  In a way, of course that's good in terms of so much less possibility for disease.  But wow, this removal cost a lot of money.

It also cost a lot of literal money.  It may end up being more covered by insurance than it seems to be right now.  The cost was just under $7,000, but I paid in advance for a 20% discount.  In the past, when we've had procedures done at the hospital, like my colonoscopy, and then got all the money refunded (I assume when the insurance paid).

When I got the phone call about the cost, I was flabbergasted a bit--the cost was more than the $1700 colonoscopy cost.  The hospital employee on the phone said that it might be priced differently because the colonoscopy was diagnostic, not taking care of a health problem.  It was not the first time that I said out loud, "Our health care system is so broken."

I came home and wrote to everyone who was waiting for an update.  I drank some coffee so that I didn't get a caffeine withdrawal headache, ate some pumpkin roll, and then I decided it was time for a nap.  I slept for several hours, the deep sleep that I rarely get these days.

I woke up and had several bowls of cauliflower cheese soup that I made on Christmas Day.  We watched Shark Tank and a few episodes of NYPD Blue.  I sewed a bit, but a very little bit.  The day had taken it out of me.

But I was relieved overall.  For a procedure which felt a bit more major for being done in a hospital, I was relieved that all went well.