I was inspired recently by BaxterWatch to have a mole checked out, so off to the doctor I went this afternoon. The doctor checked out the mole I thought might be a problem, a large stain-like mark on the side of my face, and she pronounced it...a liver spot.
Kids, I'm 31.
Dr. Coolio, whom I see on a regular basis in her white coat, denim skirt, and black-and-red cowboy boots, said the best way to make sure a mole is not a problem is to put a piece of clear adhesive tape (like scotch tape) over it, trace around it with a pen or marker, then stick that tape piece on your calendar a few months from the day you traced it. When that day comes, put another piece of tape on, trace it again, and compare the two. If you see changes, call your doctor.
"Huh," said I. "So my main 'mole' is a liver spot, and my other weird mole just gets lots of zits in it, I guess 'cuz it's on the side of my face that I hold my work phone on, y'know?"
"Hmm, let me see it," she said. She rubbed her finger over the raised mole. "You get a lot of pimples in this mole?"
I paused. "Yeah...and they take a little while to heal."
"This one I'm actually concerned about, Pixie," said Dr. Coolio. "It's raised, has a little bit of asymmetrical coloring, and you say it gets acne that's slow to heal in it." She wrote down a phone number. "Call this number and talk to the dermatology folks on the 6th floor. it'll take a few weeks to get in, but I'd rather be safe than sorry."
Also, Colorado is so close to the sun that we have some of if not the highest skin cancer rates in the nation. So wear sunscreen, kids. An ounce per body.
Monday, June 25, 2007
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6 comments:
Hmmmm. Weird indeed. At least you're going to get a dermato's opinion just to be sure.
Don't forget to call. Hope it is OK, but I am glad you got it checked out!!
Liver spots. Ha.
I am getting varicose veins. We are NOT amused.
I had the same response a few years ago from my KP doc who determined that one mole was a liver spot and another one was problematic. Hope you get the same result I did---the problematic one was removed and biopsied and was no problem.
You'll be in my thoughts...I hope everything turns out okay.
Don't freak. Keep having the the stuff checked. I have had a couple of moles frozen off of my back. Pay attention and keep watching. If you do that you should stay out of trouble.
Treat yourself to a round of dermabrasion..comes right off. Wait till you get that weird hair thing on the bottom of your chin. One minute it's not there the next it's 6 inches long! I've got witches chin in my thirties!
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