21) Annual Appointment with my Dermatologist

November 15, 2021
Monday 

Annual Checkup: It was a friendly review, seeing Dr. Miles after missing several 6-month follow ups over the last year and a half, or however long the damn Covid-19 pandemic has been terrorizing us.  She was curious and concerned about how I am recovering from the stroke so that topic guided our conversation as she was inspecting every blemish and dark spot on my body.

I directed her to look at the scaly spot on top of my head that bothered me enough to make today's appointment... and she agreed it looked suspicious and cut out a hunk of tissue for a biopsy.

A few days later, Miles' nurse called and reported that it is basal cell carcinoma and we set an appointment for January 13th for Mohs surgery (probably: I think that's what she did last time, several years ago).

 November 28, 2021

Sunday

I have this proclivity for picking at scaly spots and scabs and have been trying not to do so with the one from Dr. Miles' scraping.  Last night I noticed in touching the scab, that it has sprouted a little patch of hair growing out of the middle of it!  

Hairy Scab

This fascinated me so I talked Liz into taking a  picture of it for me to inspect.  It took a few tries before she got a clear picture that shows the short hair growing right up outa the middle of the scab. This amazes me and will help me to keep from picking at it until I go to Dr. Miles in January.

Liz and I agreed that we have a lot to be      thankful for this holiday season, even though it is now questionable to call the holiday "Thanksgiving" in honoring the indigenous peoples who were systemically annihilated by the Europeans that "settled" the New World (which was actually the old world of the people already living here). And even though there's such a division of the political, moral, and philosophic beliefs that has divided our country we have gratitude for our friends and family and the blessings we keep close during these scary times. So it goes!