I am sharing this in hopes that you will teach your kiddos some common sense practices that might save them a lot of aggravation and sickness/illness down the road.

All cancer's Sux but there are certain ones you can help prevent. As a kid and an adult like most on here I was outside all of the time without hats, long sleeve shirts or sunscreen on.
In hind sight I wish that I had used some common sense, like not laying out at the pool all day with Hawaii tropic oil on, days when it was blistering hot maybe put a cap and some sunscreen on etc.
Not saying live life scared, get out in the sun and have fun, just be smart about it!

Not looking for or want any sympathy for I am good, simply sharing this to hopefully encourage others to be smart about skin cancer for themselves and their family..
Had a little oval bump on my head, went to a Dermatologist about 7 months ago, they did a biopsy and said it was pre cancerous and will freeze it off and we are done.

About 5 months later it was still there, went to a different Dermatologist and he suggested that it should be cut out and sent off for another biopsy.
Low and behold it came back positive for Squamous Cell Carcinoma cancer in situ. So another appointment back to him to carve it out.
They poke a needle in around the affected area to numb it, then poke all around that same area with a device that burns your melon, then they scrape away the charred area away, they did that process three times.

Again not looking for any sympathy for mine was caught real early and I am good other than needing hair plugs when that area heals.
Actually could use referrals for hair transplant places

Damn, that looks nasty. Glad they finally got it right. Good reminder as I have an appt with my primary DR on Wednesday and will have him get me a referral to a dermatologist.

I am 70 and go every 6 months to my dermatologist to get a check over - never had skin cancer but was a lifetguard back in the day for 4-5 years. Good luck to you Sir

Glad everything worked out, Stub. I need to get a referral myself.

Glad they took care of it and hope you’re on the mind soon.

Just hear that it was a rare form of skin cancer that was the cause of Jimmy Buffet’s death.

I go once a year. Had a couple of basil cell spots removed. It sucks being a ginger.

I've had many squamous cell cancers removed. Usually don't need a biopsy for those since they are recognizable by an experienced dermatologist. Two carcinoma episodes are a little different. Mine were in situ fortunately.
We spent summers barefoot in shorts with no shirt. Reaping the rewards now.

Yep, I have had two basil cell carcinomas removed via MOHS surgery. One on the back of my ear and one on my temple.

I looked pretty rough until those things heeled.

I had one on the top of my shoulder 8 or 9 years ago. Because of the size, they had to do a wide excision to get everything and also took 4 or 5 lymph nodes from my armpit. I have a 1"x4" scar that runs across the top of my shoulderblade and with the scars left from the stitches, it looks like a centipede on my shoulder

Playing baseball from 5-21, I generally was used to wearing ball caps outdoors which was good in Corpus as lots of beaching and lots of sunning. Was also fairly conscious of sunscreen and throwing a t shirt on at first hint of sunburn. Have passed those things on to my kids and hoping it prevents skin cancer, so far so good.

As a disclaimer, glad you're not a musician and your politics don't suck. Hope it Heals Back Better

2000, had a melanoma show up on my left arm. LUCKILY caught it in InSitu stage, "cured" . several dysplastic things cut out and sent to Pathology. BUT I see my dermatologist every 6 months sooner if I have something pop up I don't like.

Better SAFE than sorry.

GET CHECKED

Stub, Was that a Doctor or a Nurse Practitioner that did that work?

I recently had a spot cut out and the biopsy came back basil cell carcinoma. Went back to have the surrounding tissue cut out to make sure it was all gone. I'm good now too, but the Dr did tell me one thing that I found interesting. I told him that I always wear a hat and heavy sunscreen now. He told me that all the damage was done decades ago and it really doesn't make much difference now. Regardless of how protective I am now, I will probably still get more cancer spots show up. Wise words to those of you that are still young. Protect your skin now.

Same here, y guy said my damage was done as a young kid and then when I was single, I fried myself like a piece of bacon at the pool. UGHHH dumb azz.

we really didn't get it back then. I spent so much time at the lake and always came back fried.

The doctor did the procedure, why does it look like Helen Keller did it with a mallet & chisel?



UB although my doc did not allude to when the damage was actually done, figured it was from childhood and up. 67 now and did not start halfway thinking about protecting my skin much until a few years ago.

Ditto Buzz.

I had about 2 dozen places froze last week. Good for another year.

What kind of surgery did ya'll have to remove the cancer? Mine were removed via MOHS Surgery and I was in the doctor's office most of the day.

My uncle had MOHS surgery done on one on his forehead and they chased it all the way down to his neck.

The doctor did the procedure, why does it look like Helen Keller did it with a mallet & chisel?

Naaa, I guess it looks about like the scraping / digging everyone else our age gets.

I'm about to make an appointment with a NP. However, since my question here I've learned that if there is anything much more than a biopsy I'll be sent to the Doctor.

I had a biopsy last month of a something on my lower back. The results were something that was garbled by the bad phone day I was having. But next week they want to gouge out some more of it.
The original visit was a NP or PA. I guess she'll do the next session. That was my first visit to the practice, so I guess I'll find out how they do things.

Glad you're getting it taken care of, Stub, and it's a good PSA for all. I've also had my share of sunburn water blisters, that's just the way it was back then. Had a few "pre-" things frozen off my face and think I have a couple more that have popped up since the last treatment. Need to get in to see the doc.

Thanks to this thread I've seen my primary Dr and have a referral to a dermatologist.

Please you younger folks take this seriously, this is no fun. I have a standing appt with my dermatologist every 3 months. I have had around 10 burn and scrapes, and more than 2 thousand stitches in the last 25 years, it's all been basil cell so Iv'e been lucky. Can't say the same about the pain and misery, Listen to what us older folks are telling you, keep sunscreen on all the time, and have a checkup.

I had a boss that left a place on his back go until it started bleeding. It went to his brain and killed him.