When a dermatologist told me a few weeks ago that I should get a biopsy for a mole on my head, I never seriously entertained the idea that I had skin cancer. I didn't lose any sleep playing out worst-case scenarios in my head (though I did lose sleep trying to lie down in a way that kept the stitches in my head off my pillow). I thought so little of the matter that I didn't even mention it to most of my friends & coworkers. So why was I so relieved when I got the call telling me that my test results were all negative?
No problem imagining worst-case scenarios after that call. Suddenly, I couldn't do anything but think about how different my life would have been from that point forward if the test results were different.
More than 1,000,000 new cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in the US each year, so why not me? I love biking and reading in the sun when the weather's nice. I'm an occasional smoker and consumer of processed foods. My mom survived a brush with cancer a few years back; that certainly doesn't help my odds.
Anyway, from here forward, I plan to spend the majority of my time indoors, with the shades drawn, wearing a raincoat, a large floppy old lady hat, and sunglasses.
Here's to a clean bill of health!
