In the beginning of December I went to the Dermatologist to have a suspicious skin spot looked at. I've had this spot my whole life, but it had begun to change and grow and I knew it needed to be checked out. The doctors didn't like it at all when they saw it and did a biopsy on it that day. They said that they would only call if there was something wrong...you know, "no news is good news." Well, they called a few days later. "Surface Melanoma". The doctors explained that it was really the "best kind of Melanoma" and immediately made plans to have it completely removed within the week. Because it was a fairly large spot and because of the diagnosis, they cut out a WAY larger area than just the spot...just to make sure they got all the bad cells, which I absolutely appreciate. I had 16 stitches and that entire spot and surrounding skin were sent off again to be tested. In addition, I had 3-4 blood tests done and was sent to a radiology lab to have a chest x-ray. Thankfully, all results came back clear and there were no cancer cells found anywhere outside of the original surface spot.
Feeling relieved, I returned about 2 weeks later to have my stitches removed. I was so looking forward to being done with all of this - just putting it all behind me. Well, the doctors said that "because of my history now", they wanted to do a full body check. They then biopsied 10 more spots on my body! And when that super pleasant experience was over, the nurse handed me my paperwork to take to the desk and there it was...at the top of the chart - Kristen R. Folsom and immediately under my name was printed in big, bold lettering "MELANOMA". My label. My history changed. Before December, I didn't have a history of skin cancer and by the end of the month, I did. Within a week of those biopsies, I got another call. 3 of those 10 spots came back with "the potential for bad cells". So, with "my history", it was advised that those too be removed. This was a far simpler procedure, with each one needing only 2 stitches. All of those results came back clear.
During this whole ordeal, I've been to the Dermatologist's office about 8 times. Every time, since the first spot was removed, I am handed my chart as I leave and I look at my label - "MELANOMA".
This has not been an easy thing to go through, but my family has been great and I have some close friends who have stood in the gap for me in prayer. It's kind of like being in some sort of trauma or emergency situation - where when it's actually happening, you just do it. You're brave and you fight and you stand tall and plow through. Then it's over and you're like, "What just happened? That was scary and awful and I don't know how I got through it." That's kind of how I'm feeling now. I have a clean bill of health - Praise God! I'm not in any pain and I have a pretty wicked scar to show for it...but overall, even though I now carry a new label, the whole thing is just my "history". 