Hi Guys,

Melanomas are fairly common as you get older, especially if you have spent considerable time in the sun. I just had a Melanoma removed from my forehead and it really wasn't too traumatic. It was day surgery and a follow up a week later for stitch removal.

The down side is that from now on I have to see a dermatologist every six months for a body scan, as apparently once you get one, the odds are that you will get more over time. I had the Dr and surgeon give me the records of what they did, so I can give them to the Dr I find somewhere down the road for my next inspection.

Good luck,

I've had many AKs (pre-cancers) frozen off over the years, some basal cell cancers and a sqaumous cell cancer surgically removed... too much exposure to the sun is what causes them.

Just this past summer I had 3 basal cell cancers removed from my lower left leg, and earlier this week I had a skin check with my dermatologist and pointed out something I had just discovered over the weekend on the outer corner of my eyelid of all places. He took that off for a biopsy, and also froze some more AKs on my bald spot.

It seems like this past year the pace of finding these things has picked up. I don't know if stress has anything to do with it, but I've had plenty of that for sure.

I try to stay out of the sun as much as possible... gave up golf years ago, and just gave away my clubs last week; I don't mow the lawn any more - pay somebody to do that now, and got rid of the lawnmower last week as well, so that I'm not even tempted to do it myself.
As a matter of fact, I don't do any yard work anymore.

It's gotten to the point that I recognize them when I see them and point them out to the dermatologist before he even has a chance to look me over.

As Fred said, once you find some of these things you need to get checked regularly.... it's the price you have to pay for overexposure to the sun years, or even decades ago.

If you find them early, it's not a big deal... it's like doing routine maintenance on your auto to prevent bigger problems later on.

I'll pray that Len's situation is as much of a non-event (merely an inconvenience) as mine has been.

God bless...

Geesh - went back to dermatologist last night to get results of second biopsy. NO SKIN CANCER. Seems it is an "oily mole". We are so glad of this. We were orginally told to expect the worse so made changes in our plans.

We were to retire in just one week from today and take off 10/5. We had pulled back retirement date, canceled reservations, pulled out of two projects with the NOMADS, etc etc.

So new plans are to take off in January. Financally this makes better sense. Len gets 15 more vacation days, 15 sick days and 3 personal days if still employed 1/1/10. I still have 4 weeks vacation due me on the books. I only get my 3% company profit sharing contribution if I am employed at the time it is given, sometime around January 15. So I will have them start paying out vacation time in January a week at a time to keep me on the books. Since Len will turn 61 in January we will only have to draw money from investments for 11 months instead on 15 when he can start SS.

Again, we are thrilled for the outcome but still disappointment that our plans are on hold again. IT WILL ALL WORK OUT!

Phyllis

Good to hear the news! See ya down the road.

Hey, that's great!!!

Like Charles said, keep your plans flexible. We learned quite awhile ago to always write our plans in pencile, and have a big eraser handy.

Jim

WOOO-HOOO! That's fantastic news, and one less grey cloud hanging over your heads. Thank God it wasn't cancer. It's going to work out...

Wonderful news!!! So glad to hear your great news. January is just around the corner and will be here before you know it. See you on the road........SOON