By the way, I forgot to post the results to my multiple doctor visits this summer, which has also added to the stress of transitions. The surgery was successful and they removed all the melanoma. I am glad to get that off my back (literally and figuratively).
It was funny that my first vacation was to the Florida. Needless to say, I sat under a canopy in a long sleeve shirt with SPF 99 splattered all over me.
3 comments:
The presence of a melanoma is a great risk factor for the development of more abnormal moles in the future. Therefore, it is very important to maintain a high level of vigilance for those that have had a melanoma removed.
More recently physicians have recognized the importance of moles that are new or getting larger in predicting high risk lesions. They have now added E for enlargement to the criteria and many recommend following the ABCDE’s.
Although dermatologists almost always ask if you have any new or changing moles most people cannot accurately answer that question (particularly those with numerous moles and the greatest risk). One way to approach this problem for people at high risk is to use Total Body Photography to document the moles on your body. However, this is an expensive procedure (often costing $400-$600) that most insurance providers will not cover.
There is now an inexpensive software program that allows people to use their own digital cameras at home to take their own body images at different time intervals (maximizing privacy). The images can be scaled and aligned and compared using a personal computer to allow for the efficient recognition of new or growing moles. This software was developed from funding provided by the National Cancer Institute and can be obtained by going to the website http://www.dermalert.com .
Brian, not sure who you are. But thanks for the advice, similar to what my plastic surgeon said...
Hope you come back...peace-
WB
I'm glad to hear this great news, Wes!
It is to my shame that I am very foolhardy when it comes to the sun...
Post a Comment