At the Dermatologist

I have a long medical history. But for modern medicine, I would be dead several times over.  Pneumonia, bleeding ulcer, knee ACL and PCL, serious butt stuff, on and on.
Most of my life I went out in the sun without sun protection. That was a bad idea, growing up at  some altitude in a desert. I have done a good amount of outside work as well. The only  precautions I ever took was wearing a hat, usually a ball cap.
A few years ago I started regular trips to the dermatologist to have patchy pre-cancerous areas  on my face frozen. There were always new spots to be treated. Not long after the last visit I  noticed my razor scraping a place on my cheek. It didn’t heal, so I called.
Early Stage Squamous Cell Cancer

Early Stage Squamous Cell Cancer

This morning my Dermatologist took one look and said cancer. She started with a biopsy and  saw it was deeper than she thought. She scooped out a chunk about the size of a dime. No  stitches, just a band-aid and Vaseline. Squamous cell cancer.

I have always been aware of the risk. A rancher and the game warden in Fruita died from skincancers they ignored for too long. A guard at one of the water plants where I worked had a sore  on his face he was ignoring. I yelled at him so much he finally went in and had the cancer cut out.
A friend at work, blonde with fair skin, grew up in Brooklyn and spent his summers at Coney  Island. He travels to the Caribbean to scuba dive several times a year. He goes to his  dermatologist every quarter to have more cancers cut out. He has a pretty good sized gouge  out of his nose.
I thought I was probably safe because my skin is not that fair. I have hardly ever used sunscreen, but have almost always worn a hat, especially after going bald. Usually it was a ball cap.  I have used a boonie hat more lately. I think my ball cap days are over. I will also start  using sunblock. Once again, modern medicine is saving my life.

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