Lake Spokane Relay For Life 2010

Please come visit my personal page at The American Cancer Society - 2010 Relay For Life of Lake Spokane WA: I will be walking the Survivor lap for the 4th year in a row. I was first diagnosed with Skin Cancer in May of 2005... WOW! It's been 5 years. And I most recently was diagnosed with Melanoma in April of this month. Thankfully, I have an AMAZING Dr. who was completely responsive and aggressive about it. He removed it the very next day and now I'm healing with LOTS and LOTS of stitches!

Here are a few pics.... (WARNING: These are graphic, like, cut flesh graphic.... beware! Scroll down for the rest of post!) ;0)

This is the area of skin the Doc cut out to ensure that he "got" all of the cancerous cells.

It doesn't look too big.... but that's my Dr's thumb for reference.
(It was rather disconcerting to hear his nurse say "I got the biggest one I could find.." when talking about pathology vials....Um.... biggest WHAT?!?! LOL)

These are the pics of my outer stitches.... The Dr. thought it was too morbid to take pics during the procedure.... Wimp! :-D

So.... that was a week ago today and I still have the stitches (until Monday), BUT I got a call from my most fabulous Doc today!!!! AND THE CANCER IS GONE!!!!!! They are pleased with the results, all of the margins came back as Curative Melanoma!!!!! It is a true and blessed relief, my kids all whooped and hollered when I told them!!!!! My mother and I cried, and everyone I know said thankful prayers!!!!! Now.... the only things left to do are: biopsy/remove some smaller but concerning areas; get my kids to submit to mandatory SPF slathering, every day of their rotten precious ever-lovin' lives'; kiss, hug, pamper, and adore my sweet kids (and their unburned, SPF'd faces) as much as stinking possible; and purchase stock in said SPF companies.

Seriously though, cancer is a scary thing.... families are ripped apart by it daily. Don't let your family go through what mine has. We spend hours and hours and tons of money to give our kids "natural" lives.... natural fibers, natural foods, natural consequences? (lol).... what about NATURAL SKIN?! Sun tans are NOT stylish.... beautiful, protected, adored, loved, natural skin is so fantastically in vogue! So please, come visit my page and help me raise money for cancer awareness and research! Thank you so much!