Biopsy results

I had my 5th and 6th biopsies done yesterday.  Luckily, she was able to close both of them with stitches. I've learned that when you mess with one area of your body over and over again, it doesn't like you much.  I like to think I'm tough and can handle pain but having these two biopsies done were the most painful.  My back has just had enough.  And so have I, but this fight isn't over yet.

Also yesterday, the doctor looked at my arm stitches and said today was too early to take them out.  The window for biopsy stitches is 9-12 days. I had the ones from the surgery in my back for 14 days, and looking at my arm showed that I need to be on the high end of the window. So, no appointment today and I will go in Monday to get them out. It's actually kind of a relief because every day this week, I've had an appointment for this disease.  Today, I get to be free...at least as much as you can be with a sore back. I can't tell you how many times I've said, "Gentle hug" to my friends lately.

So, the arm results.  It was another mixed bag.  One of the two spots, the pink one actually turned out to be a form of a wart. Weird. I have/had no warts that I know of and it sure didn't look like one. Leave it to be to be the exception to the rule again.  Unfortunately, the brown mole next to it was dysplastic.  Low-Intermediate Grade.  The doctor and I again talked about how frustrating it is to not have a "time line" for moles that are changing. She and I (and probably all melanoma patients) wish that there was a way to say, "Low grade dysplastic moles take 1 year to become cancerous, Intermediate grade 6 months" or something nice like that.  Unfortunately, our bodies don't give us convenience. Heck, I of all people should know that since I am the exception to the melanoma rule in multiple ways. I sure wanted 6 benign results and so far, I'm batting 50%. Don't get me wrong, I am beyond thrilled that no other sites show melanoma. That was my worst fear, still is, but I'm 100% in that most important area.

I'm off to change bandages for the first time. These are the most gruesome of them but I'm not a huge bleeder so the rest should be clean and dry until the stitches come out in 11 more days.