I have been calling my dermatologist's office since they opened, but the nurses haev been busy so I have only gotten their voice mail. I must have sounded more and more desperate! Finally, 6 minutes before they close they called.
It was the least serious. A dysplastic nevus that wasn't completely removed, so I have to get a larger chunk sliced off. This usually require a bit longer recovery, but I was able to set the appointment for July 9, so I can enjoy my sister's visit (they leave June 30) without having to deal with a large wound.
So relieved! They really freaked me out... Dysplastic nevus are not a Melanoma guarantee, but in a case like me, who has what is called atypical moles (aka TONS of moles), plus a mother who died from Melanoma as well as me having had Basal Cell Carcinoma, plus all the steroids and my compromised immune system, well, lets just say I am of particularly high risk to get Melanoma...
But great news!
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Shit...
Normally when I go to my dermatologist (twice a year) they see something they don't like, and they slice it off. It often turns out to be dysplastic nevis, something that can easily turn into Melanoma.
They only call you if there is a problem, otherwise you can log on to a web site and see the results. When Sarah and I got home this afternoon there was a message from the doctor to call their office immediately. No further information was given. Shit! And of course they are closed now and I won't be able to call until tomorrow. When I logged on to the web site there was no info there.
This probably means one of two things. It was dysplastic, and they didn't quite get it all so I need to come back and slice some more off. But this is not a big deal, and they usually leave this kind of info on the machine or online. Or, the second possible reason for this phone message is that it is the big M this time...
So now I will be on pins and needles until they reopen tomorrow! I hate not knowing! So lets all hope for the first option, even though I really don't want a huge scar on my leg, it is a much better option than the second one...
Under this bandage is the possible time bomb. I sure hope it is not Melanoma...
They only call you if there is a problem, otherwise you can log on to a web site and see the results. When Sarah and I got home this afternoon there was a message from the doctor to call their office immediately. No further information was given. Shit! And of course they are closed now and I won't be able to call until tomorrow. When I logged on to the web site there was no info there.
This probably means one of two things. It was dysplastic, and they didn't quite get it all so I need to come back and slice some more off. But this is not a big deal, and they usually leave this kind of info on the machine or online. Or, the second possible reason for this phone message is that it is the big M this time...
So now I will be on pins and needles until they reopen tomorrow! I hate not knowing! So lets all hope for the first option, even though I really don't want a huge scar on my leg, it is a much better option than the second one...
Under this bandage is the possible time bomb. I sure hope it is not Melanoma...Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Walking
Yesterday when Sarah and I was by our selves we decided to go out and have ice cream somewhere, but when we sat in Ken's car (he took mine) it wouldn't start! It seemed like the battery was dead. So instead we walked up to a nearby restaurant and had a nice leisurely lunch instead. It was great walking home after eating as well, we have a short cut road in the back of our subdivision where there is no motor traffic, and it is pretty nice to walk there.
This morning, since the car needs a new battery anyway, it was up to me to call our roadside assistance and have the car towed to the repair shop that we used. It is just up the road, so I just walked back home. They will call when it is ready for pickup, and I will then take the dogs so they get an extra walk too. It is hot, but we have a nice breeze today, so we will be fine. I really don't like walking so close to a state road, since it is densely trafficked, but there is a huge ditch in between us and the road, so we will be fine. Half of the way has a walkway, but I always feel weird, knowing people are looking at me and wondering what kind of bum I am, walking along the road.
Nobody WALKS here, only if you are desperate! I have actually been stopped before, with concerned drivers wondering if I was in need of a ride or needed to borrow a cell phone or something. Come on! It is a 10 minute to walk, it is not THAT big of a deal, people!
Anyway, I am also having the mechanics fix an electrical problem with Ken's AC. It works, but only on the highest setting, which is extremely annoying. So that will be nice to have fixed before the summer heat really starts to settle in. I like the AC, in fact, it is a must for me, often driving with a kid and two dogs in the car, but the highest setting is just a wee bit of an overkill I think...
This morning, since the car needs a new battery anyway, it was up to me to call our roadside assistance and have the car towed to the repair shop that we used. It is just up the road, so I just walked back home. They will call when it is ready for pickup, and I will then take the dogs so they get an extra walk too. It is hot, but we have a nice breeze today, so we will be fine. I really don't like walking so close to a state road, since it is densely trafficked, but there is a huge ditch in between us and the road, so we will be fine. Half of the way has a walkway, but I always feel weird, knowing people are looking at me and wondering what kind of bum I am, walking along the road.
Nobody WALKS here, only if you are desperate! I have actually been stopped before, with concerned drivers wondering if I was in need of a ride or needed to borrow a cell phone or something. Come on! It is a 10 minute to walk, it is not THAT big of a deal, people!
Anyway, I am also having the mechanics fix an electrical problem with Ken's AC. It works, but only on the highest setting, which is extremely annoying. So that will be nice to have fixed before the summer heat really starts to settle in. I like the AC, in fact, it is a must for me, often driving with a kid and two dogs in the car, but the highest setting is just a wee bit of an overkill I think...
Shark teeth and fun in the sun
I hope you all had a nice 3-day Memorial Weekend! It is now unofficially summer here!
We started Saturday out by having our old friends over for a BBQ. We actually met 8 years ago when I was walking our then only dog Bob. They had just gotten a puppy too, so we started to chat, and since then we have been very good friends. I think one of the reason we get along so well (me and the wife, S) is that she is not a native of this country. She was born in China and raised in Vietnam until she was 18. She is so open minded and great to have all kinds of discussions with! Her husband, J, is originally from Hong Kong. Their two daughters are 3 and 4 and just so adorable. We had a really nice time catching up on things.
Since Ken had to be at the office all of Memorial Day (Monday), we decided to have our holiday on Sunday instead. We left early and took off for Venice Beach. Venice is just about 45-50 minutes south of us, and its beaches are known to be the shark tooth capital of the world. Here you can fairly easy find all kinds of fossilized shark teeth.
The Gulf of Mexico was so perfect at just under 83F degrees (28C). We just floated around in the waves for hours, taking turns using a special shark tooth scooper that helps you sift through the sand and shells. Sarah loved it!
We took a break for lunch at the very cool, old fashioned beach cafe, they had awesome burgers there! We also took a drive down south to the more deserted Caspersen Beach, but we didn't have much luck there. This is a picture of an actual fossilized shark tooth we got at Venice Beach! We are pretty sure it must have come from a prehistoric Lemon Shark.
We are definitively going back next weekend, we have just gotten a taste of the shark teeth world! Imagine finding a Megalodon tooth? They are rare, but they do show up once in a whileMegalodons were thought to have been 16 meters long! You can see in this picture how horrendously gigantic they were compared to a modern day Great White's teeth. I wouldn't want to meet one of these creatures. There are some scientists that believe they might still exist in deep waters...
We started Saturday out by having our old friends over for a BBQ. We actually met 8 years ago when I was walking our then only dog Bob. They had just gotten a puppy too, so we started to chat, and since then we have been very good friends. I think one of the reason we get along so well (me and the wife, S) is that she is not a native of this country. She was born in China and raised in Vietnam until she was 18. She is so open minded and great to have all kinds of discussions with! Her husband, J, is originally from Hong Kong. Their two daughters are 3 and 4 and just so adorable. We had a really nice time catching up on things.
Since Ken had to be at the office all of Memorial Day (Monday), we decided to have our holiday on Sunday instead. We left early and took off for Venice Beach. Venice is just about 45-50 minutes south of us, and its beaches are known to be the shark tooth capital of the world. Here you can fairly easy find all kinds of fossilized shark teeth.
The Gulf of Mexico was so perfect at just under 83F degrees (28C). We just floated around in the waves for hours, taking turns using a special shark tooth scooper that helps you sift through the sand and shells. Sarah loved it!
We took a break for lunch at the very cool, old fashioned beach cafe, they had awesome burgers there! We also took a drive down south to the more deserted Caspersen Beach, but we didn't have much luck there. This is a picture of an actual fossilized shark tooth we got at Venice Beach! We are pretty sure it must have come from a prehistoric Lemon Shark.
We are definitively going back next weekend, we have just gotten a taste of the shark teeth world! Imagine finding a Megalodon tooth? They are rare, but they do show up once in a whileMegalodons were thought to have been 16 meters long! You can see in this picture how horrendously gigantic they were compared to a modern day Great White's teeth. I wouldn't want to meet one of these creatures. There are some scientists that believe they might still exist in deep waters...
Friday, May 23, 2008
Memorial Day Weekend
It looks like the clog is mostly dissolved, and last night I celebrated by making grilled salmon with olive oil, garlic and lemon, with sauce made out of Greek yogurt with fresh tarragon and lemon, and tomatoes and red onions marinaded with olive oil and lemon. Yummy! For dessert we had lots of fresh cherries, they are just starting to come into season.
As many other bloggers have mentioned, berries overall are really coming into season now, and the fridge is full of huge, juicy blueberries, scrumptious strawberries and blackberries. Soon an abundance of other fruits will be following. It is not like we don't have these fruits and berries during the winter, but then the produce is to a large part flown in from far away.
Today I have a few projects to take care of for work before picking Sarah up from school at 11:30. Sarah has her annual check up at her pediatrician today at 2:30 PM, and since she will be starting Kindergarten this fall there will unfortunately for her be a LOT of shots required today. We talked about the shots, so she is prepared. She knows it will hurt and sting a bit, and that it is OK to cry. I promised to hold her hand during the shots, and then take her out for ice cream afterward. Then it is cleaning time! We are having another dinner party tomorrow night, so I would like to clean up today so I can have a somewhat relaxing day tomorrow.
On Monday it is Memorial Day, so this is a 3-day weekend. Unofficially this weekend signals the start of summer, and it is common to BBQ and hang out. The weather looks like it will stay intermittently rainy, so I am not sure if our Sunday beach plans will work out. But we were thinking about going to Venice Beach, which is way south of us. They are the shark tooth capital of the world, with the highest density of fossilized shark teeth on the beach. So even if it is rainy we can still go shark teeth hunting! We also wanted to fit in some mini golf for Sarah. Should be fun!
Fossilized shark teeth
As many other bloggers have mentioned, berries overall are really coming into season now, and the fridge is full of huge, juicy blueberries, scrumptious strawberries and blackberries. Soon an abundance of other fruits will be following. It is not like we don't have these fruits and berries during the winter, but then the produce is to a large part flown in from far away.
Today I have a few projects to take care of for work before picking Sarah up from school at 11:30. Sarah has her annual check up at her pediatrician today at 2:30 PM, and since she will be starting Kindergarten this fall there will unfortunately for her be a LOT of shots required today. We talked about the shots, so she is prepared. She knows it will hurt and sting a bit, and that it is OK to cry. I promised to hold her hand during the shots, and then take her out for ice cream afterward. Then it is cleaning time! We are having another dinner party tomorrow night, so I would like to clean up today so I can have a somewhat relaxing day tomorrow.
On Monday it is Memorial Day, so this is a 3-day weekend. Unofficially this weekend signals the start of summer, and it is common to BBQ and hang out. The weather looks like it will stay intermittently rainy, so I am not sure if our Sunday beach plans will work out. But we were thinking about going to Venice Beach, which is way south of us. They are the shark tooth capital of the world, with the highest density of fossilized shark teeth on the beach. So even if it is rainy we can still go shark teeth hunting! We also wanted to fit in some mini golf for Sarah. Should be fun!
Fossilized shark teethThursday, May 22, 2008
Difficulty eating ;-)
Since my stomach is still all clogged up, I haven't been able to eat much. But finally I just couldn't stand being hungry any more, so I made some chicken Lo Mein. But it was kind of hard to eat it, if you see what I mean...
Done deal
The more I read about microdermabrasion and skin cancer prevention, the more convinced I am this might be a good idea. And frankly, I think I deserve a little bit of pampering. I get a haircut every 6 months, that is it, so why not! I have an appointment for June 4 for a microdermabrasion followed by a calming facial. I will get the package of 3 treatments spaced 4 weeks a part, to really reap the benefits. I heard this DiamondTome is a lot better than the old fashioned version where they use crystals, no particles that can be breathed in, get in your eyes or on your clothes!
This is pretty exciting! I have never done anything like this before. I think I will throw in a teeth whitening session when I have my teeth cleaned that same week as well... They have a deal where you pay a one time fee of $99 and can get free touch ups for life if you have your teeth cleaned twice a year. And since we are getting dental insurance, cleanings and checks ups will be free anyway!
I did home improvements, now I am moving on to self improvements! Ha ha!
This is pretty exciting! I have never done anything like this before. I think I will throw in a teeth whitening session when I have my teeth cleaned that same week as well... They have a deal where you pay a one time fee of $99 and can get free touch ups for life if you have your teeth cleaned twice a year. And since we are getting dental insurance, cleanings and checks ups will be free anyway!
I did home improvements, now I am moving on to self improvements! Ha ha!
Skin upgrade?
I just came from my dermatologist's office. Since my mom died of Melanoma when she was 24, and I have already had basal cell carcinoma, I am at a very high risk of developing melanoma myself.
Therefore I have skin checks every 6 months, and they ALWAYS find at least one mole (I have tons!) that is sliced off and turns out to be at least dysplastic (precancerous). But I much rather have lots of little scars than being dead, of course.
I have pretty dry skin, especially now when my water uptake is severely hindered by the fact of not having a colon. I have lots of little lines and wrinkles, probably more than the average for a woman 34 years of age. I think some are genetic, since my grandmother is a bit of a "leather face".
I don't think I could ever have plastic surgery, but I have long been interested in doing something about my skin, such as microdermabrasions, facials and professional chemical peels.
Since it has been proven that microdermabrasion actually can remove damage that could become cancerous, it would just not be for vanity. My dermatologist gave me a 25 % off certificate. So I am really interested in trying at least a facial and a microdermabrasion. A facial runs $95-150 and a microdermabrasion $125-145. They use DiamondTome, a diamond wand , rather than the old fashion powder. Since these procedures would be done at my dermatologist's office, I can use my health savings account to pay for this treatments.
What do you think? Have anyone had a microdermabrasion? Or chemical peels? I have had a facial before, and that would be more pampering than for necessity. They use Kinerase products, which I have only tried a little bit before, but they are suppose to be good.
I have a little bit more confidence going to my doctor's office than some run of the mill "spa"...
Therefore I have skin checks every 6 months, and they ALWAYS find at least one mole (I have tons!) that is sliced off and turns out to be at least dysplastic (precancerous). But I much rather have lots of little scars than being dead, of course.
I have pretty dry skin, especially now when my water uptake is severely hindered by the fact of not having a colon. I have lots of little lines and wrinkles, probably more than the average for a woman 34 years of age. I think some are genetic, since my grandmother is a bit of a "leather face".
I don't think I could ever have plastic surgery, but I have long been interested in doing something about my skin, such as microdermabrasions, facials and professional chemical peels.
Since it has been proven that microdermabrasion actually can remove damage that could become cancerous, it would just not be for vanity. My dermatologist gave me a 25 % off certificate. So I am really interested in trying at least a facial and a microdermabrasion. A facial runs $95-150 and a microdermabrasion $125-145. They use DiamondTome, a diamond wand , rather than the old fashion powder. Since these procedures would be done at my dermatologist's office, I can use my health savings account to pay for this treatments.
What do you think? Have anyone had a microdermabrasion? Or chemical peels? I have had a facial before, and that would be more pampering than for necessity. They use Kinerase products, which I have only tried a little bit before, but they are suppose to be good.
I have a little bit more confidence going to my doctor's office than some run of the mill "spa"...
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Having some stomach problems...again.
Yesterday afternoon when I went to pick up Sarah in school I noticed it hurt really bad in the middle of my stomach. I figured it might be some kind of heart burn (I should know better by now!), so I took an anti-heartburn (halsbränna) medication. But after we got back home it got a bit worse and I could here lots of weird gurgling in there. Then I realized it was a serious clog that was forming. I can tell the difference between a clog that is just irritating and something that can turn more serious, and the more serious kind feels like fire. I am trying to be very careful and not eat too much and drink lots of tea and water.
A clog that is serious require medical care, and the symptom that is the signal that I need to take off to the ER is vomiting, and I am trying to avoid that. Same stuff going on today, so I will just eat very sparsely and drink lots of fluids and hope for the best. A stop in my intestine is not on my list of things to do right now. But I feel pretty confident I can handle it. I am just so freaking hungry! Oh well, just part of my new life, so no big deal.
No more rain today, but lots of gray clouds. Take care!
A clog that is serious require medical care, and the symptom that is the signal that I need to take off to the ER is vomiting, and I am trying to avoid that. Same stuff going on today, so I will just eat very sparsely and drink lots of fluids and hope for the best. A stop in my intestine is not on my list of things to do right now. But I feel pretty confident I can handle it. I am just so freaking hungry! Oh well, just part of my new life, so no big deal.
No more rain today, but lots of gray clouds. Take care!
Announcements
I was just sitting here and thinking about all the people that all of a sudden seem to be pregnant. I was reminiscing back to when I was pregnant myself. I got pregnant on our second try in April 2002, but had a miscarriage in the 6th week, and we were very eager to get pregnant as soon as possible, since I could only stay off my medications for so long. The pregnancy was supposedly going to produce enough natural steroids so I would be OK (and it did!), but until I was actually pregnant again I could still get sick. So we didn't wait the 3 months the doctor said, I got pregnant as soon as we tried only one cycle after the miscarriage. I new exactly what day and everything, early in September 2002, since I was using ovulation tests and was very in tune with my body back then.
The second time I was a bit more careful in getting all excited, which I think is pretty natural just having gone though a miscarriage. I was thinking of how I told Ken we were pregnant again, and I still have the e-mail I sent him. This is the picture it contained:
How did you tell your significant others you were pregnant?
The second time I was a bit more careful in getting all excited, which I think is pretty natural just having gone though a miscarriage. I was thinking of how I told Ken we were pregnant again, and I still have the e-mail I sent him. This is the picture it contained:
I would like to think I will have more children in the future, but as it is now it just isn't in the cards. My health would have to be more stable, and not to forget the enormous cost of a second child. You don't get any kind of monetary help in this country, and I would not get any kind of maternity leave due to being self employed...
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