On Being a California Sunbaby and the Sun Damage at 50

My brother Michael and I, August, my 50th birthday. The scary issue is the tiny brown spot under my left eye (as you're looking at the pic), on my cheekbone. It's about the size of two pen dots.

It took me 6 months to write this and to show these photos. I finally gathered enough courage, remembering why I wanted to write it in the first place. There was a fellow Equine Gestalt Coach who did the same a couple years ago. She shared her story and it was because of that that I went to the dermatologist in the first place!

I had this tiny spot that appeared on my cheekbone about a year ago. I watched it. It slowly grew in size and got darker. It wasn't round. Damn. Off to the dermatologist.

They told me I had "severely atypical cells" and at first wanted to do a Moh's Surgery on it. Which just means that they take off a layer of skin, look at it under a microscope, and repeat until they have a clear layer.

I was completely freaked out. I stuck my head in the sand. They called and called. Each message they laid on the guilt and worry. That just pissed me off. I finally called and told them no, I wasn't going to do it. The girl I spoke to was not happy with that phone call and let that be known. Eww.

I waited a few months and found another dermatologist in town that is known for the Moh's Surgery. I went to see them. They were very nice. I had my records transferred and set up an appointment with the surgeon to talk about what was needed. He decided to nix the Moh's and instead do a surgery that was 5mm wide and 3mm deep. Yikes. He was worried it was melanoma. Good Lord.

September 3, 2019. I like my dermatologist and his staff. They were making me laugh.

It was an outpatient procedure. They put a compression bandage on at the doctor's office.

Still September 3rd. The swelling sets in, even the other side got in on the game. I used Young Living's Frankincense and a blend called PanAway for swelling and bruising. I also took Arnica. I had almost no bruising!

Day 3. Yikes. 3 stitches inside and 10 outside. A rough first night. They didn't give me pain meds and said to take over the counter stuff. I'm allergic to Tylenol and I found out they didn't want me taking Advil. I really didn't want anything prescription but the throbbing of those 13 little stitches were making me cry. I talked to the doctor and he said 4 Advil was fine. That was all it took. Once I got it under control, I didn't need it again.

Brad replaced the bandage and took a pic for me. I didn't want to see it. A surprise to me, I was freaked out. Half panicked and half depressed, this had me feeling old and scared.

A couple of days later I saw the picture and realized I looked old and scared too!

Not melanoma! It stayed "severely atypical cells!" Whoohooo!

Day 7. Looking better than I expected.

Day 10

4 months later. In bright sunshine it's noticeable but not too bad. I think the thing that bugs me most is on that side, the divot under my eye bag is gone—yay!—but on the other side it's still there :-/. Ah well. At least it wasn't melanoma!

The moral of the story, go to the dermatologist for your annual Mole Patrol! If I had gone when I first found it, they might have frozen it off and that would have been it. Don't be like me, get your head out of the sand and go!

Love to all from the Mother Ranch,

Julia

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