Skin Cancer Defines Me

Diagnosis story

A year ago July I had a pinched nerve in my neck. I had been adjusted 4 times and on the 5th I ended up worse than I started. That evening I ended up in the ER with severe neck pain. After a muscle relaxer and pain shot I get relief.

That's when my husband rolled my leg over and asked the doctor about a mole on the back of my leg. Her remark exactly, you need that removed immediately. I had it removed 3 days later. Stage 2 malignant melanoma. I went through a wide excision with 3 lymph nodes removed.

Skin check, biopsy, treatment, repeat

Lymph nodes came back clean also with clean margins. I've had two Photodynamic Therapy treatments on my face for way too many squamous and basal cells to freeze of scrape.

Three Picato treatments across my chest for the same issue of way to many to treat individually. Five biopsies, one melanoma, one atypical with severe dysplasia which required a wide excision also and 20 stitches, 2 with mild/moderate dysplasia and one that was starting atypical.

I look everyday for new spots. It consumes me some days. It's who I am now. I will continue my 3 month visits to the dermatologist so I can save my life.

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