I'll Take a Poker Face Please!

I had an interesting Dermatologist appointment the other day.  I've never seen a Dermatologist before, but after watching this video I decided it was time.  Please, please, please take a few minutes to watch.

Dear 16 Year Old Me

So I very rarely go out without my SPF 100 sunscreen.  Living in Ohio helps too, as we rarely get sun.  However, I grew up getting burned quite often.  As a teenager I sat in the sun with vegetable oil slathered on my skin.  It was the thing to do in the late '80's and early 90's.  In my early 20's I actually went tanning now and then.  It was only after I started working with cancer patients that I started caring about my skin. 

This video was enlightening.  I never really made the connection that those of us with CF might be more prone to skin cancer.  We are immuno-compromised by nature.  That's why we pick up so many "bugs" that normal/healthy people don't...  Dr. Dazzle said that this is how/why I picked up this nasty mycobacterium.  Those who are immuno-compromised are at a greater risk of getting skin cancer too.  That mean us guys!   We need to be more careful.

So I had this freckle on the back of my arm that was very dark compared to my alabaster skin.  I have lots of freckles, but this didn't look like the rest.  I'd love to take a picture and show you, but it no longer belongs to me.  It's in a lab somewhere awaiting analysis.  The appointment started off with the standard conversation about my my CF...the normal stuff I get when I list my meds and tell any doctor other than my Pulm that I have CF...the "Wow, shouldn't you be dead! or You're REALLY old for having CF! or Are you sure you have CF?"  I am still alive and kicking.  I know I'm old.   Yes, I'm sure I've got CF.  We then moved on to my skin.  She looked over every inch of my skin, starting at my feet.  At which point I told her that my real concern was this freckle.  I lifted my arm to show her and I kid you not, she said "Oh man, that shouldn't look like that at all!  That's way too dark!  That's a grade 5 (something or other)".  She then had her assistant take a picture of it, the needles came out to numb my arm, a blade sliced the lowly little freckle off and the biopsy was complete.  I had no time to prepare.  The entire process took about 45 seconds.  I was bandaged  up and told that my results would be back in about two to three weeks. 

I left not really registering what happened.  I left wishing the doctor had more of a poker face.  She looks at weird skin all day long.  I'm pretty surprised about how much she reacted to my harmless little freckle.  I kinda wish she would have said something reassuring, like that we're just going to do a little biopsy as a precaution, but it will likely come back normal.

I REALLY think this is going to be benign.  Even if it is cancerous, it would VERY likely be basal cell, which is so easily dealt with.  My father has basal cell carcinoma and it's no big deal.  He has to get his skin checked and parts cut off here and there, but it's really not so life-threatening.   I'm glad I finally went, so I could stop wondering. 

So here's my plea for all of my CF friends out there...   PLEASE protect your skin!  Not only to prevent the potential of getting cancer, but also because we're living much long and you don't want to have to deal with too many wrinkles in old age!