My Cancer Scare...

[Old School]

Man, where do I start.

I went to my annual routine derm appointment a few weeks back. They hacked off a few spots on my chest and lower back. If anything they were just going to be basal cell. I've also had this mole on the back of my left leg forever. Two guys this session said it looked normal. Then another guy came in, who happens to be a longtime Navy bud of mine. He left the aviation field and went to the medicine field quite some time ago. He's now retired from the military and doing his residency at Portsmouth med as a derm dude. He looked at the mole too, and said it was normal. But he made the call to hack it off just to be safe.
He calls me five days later to tell me the spots on my chest and back were good. But the mole was positive for Melanoma!

So he refers me to general surgery ASAP. They want to take out a 4 centimeter wide flank around the mole, and take out some lymph nodes closest to the site for biopsy. Nuke medicine confirmed these were in my groin. Swell! So last Monday I go in for surgery. All went well. I wake up sore as sheet and go home at dinner time with a bag of happy pills.

I had a scare Wednesday. My left thigh got really swollen at the cut site, and was black/blue from my waist to the front/side and back of my thigh. I thought it might be infected, so back in we go. It was "just" a hematoma. Not great, but better than an infection. Anyways, the biopsy results came in today from my flank and lymph nodes. In a nutshell, I dodged a bullet.

Keep an eye out on those moles folks!! Keep up the great reports too! I should be on the water in a few more weeks.

Here's a pic of my leg. Sorry, no pic of my groin area. It aint pretty!

[gus]

glad u r ok, may u have a quick recovery.

[racn35]

I went in portsmouth to have my gall bladder removed and look what happened to my NECK !!! We gotta stay away from there Don !!!

[lyle]

Glad everything is fine Don, Congrats on that... From the looks of you leg, you will have to wear darker stockings with your dresses from now on LOL LOL LOL :) :)

[Mike Avery]

Don, glad you are OK dude. I have lots of moles and Lanie has been on me to go to the doctor to get them checked out but I have not been since retiring from the Army 3 years ago. Guess I need to go. Hope you get better soon and back on the water.

[fshnbaybe]

Better do as the doc says so you can get back out on the boat!

Okay Fish Dad, fair warning, I am gonna get on you now!

[itsallgood]

very happy to hear everything is looking better, your "squatting" bad back kept the flatties safe enough... lets go ice down some "spot" flounder in about a month r so

[buxboatboy]

Don,
Glad everything is ok I just went to the Derm yesterday and had 4 pre cancers froze off.........hold on to the happy pills they go great with Crown Royal

bbb

[pawpaw]

I'm sure glad you're OK buddy. I've got a coulpe of moles on my back and one at the base of my neck. I've been saying for a while that I need to get them checked. I'll be calling the doctor first thing Monday morning!

If you need anything, send up a flare, or b-mail me. Hell, do both!

[BigJim]

Thanks for not showing the groin pic.

Glad to hear the nodes were clear. Quick healing, bud.