full body scan + pale is the new tan

Two friends--one 26, one 36--found out last year that they had melanoma. If you're like me and kind of know what that is but were going to wikipedia it anyway just to be sure, I can save you the trouble. It's the most dangerous kind of skin cancer. Both friends were treated over the course of the year and seem to be doing well, but what a scare. A scare that inspired me to do what I've been meaning to do for years and years--go to the dermatologist. I called mine up a few weeks ago and made an appointment for what my doctor calls a "full body scan." I giggled a little when I thumb-typed that into my calendar.

Although I haven't spent a whole lot of time in the sun, I do have very fair skin and have had a couple good (as in bad) burns. I had my skin checked a time or two as a teenager and have thought ever since that I should do it annually, but I never have. So I just went in last week to get things checked out, just to be safe. Just to be proactive. Just because it really could (but probably wouldn't) happen to me.

I thought for sure there wouldn't be anything to be worried about and that the experience would just make me feel good to be officially keeping an eye on things. That may still be true, but I'm not off the hook. My doc found a spot on my left shoulder blade that looked suspicious, so they took a biopsy. My doctor called back a week later and said that there were some changes to the cells and that it "could be melanoma."

I'm going back in a week to get a slightly bigger area removed to be sure they got everything. Jared & I would have wanted to do the follow-up sooner (we initially scheduled it for Friday, 2 days after the phone call), but we decided to slow our row a bit because after the surgery I won't be allowed to do any heavy lifting for 4-5 days. And both of my one-year-olds would definitely qualify as heavy lifting! So, we decided to do it as soon as my mom could get out here to help with the babies. Thank goodness for my amazing and selfless and available mom!

Thank goodness also that my friends shared their very personal stuff, otherwise I would still be putting off that nagging voice in my head. And not to turn the nag on you, but if you're reading this and you have skin and it has (or hasn't) seen the sun, you may want to make your own appointment for a full body scan. Hopefully you'll only come away with peace of mind. It's just a bonus that it's kind of fun to write those words on your calendar.

One of my old work friends in L.A. gave me this tee as consolation because my friends were always teasing me for my whiteyness. And now I'm using it to change the world! Joke's on them.