Have you ever had a symptom that just wouldn’t go away, but you ignored it? If you’re aging like me, you don’t want to overanalyze every little thing that pops up. And if you have Bipolar II, like I do, monitoring that alone feels like enough to track!
For months, I had a sore on my upper left cheek. I’ve always been prone to rashes and breakouts, so I brushed it off as some kind of psoriatic patch. But then I remembered—one of the seven warning signs of cancer is a sore that doesn’t heal. That got my attention. I finally made an appointment with a dermatologist. She took a biopsy.
It was skin cancer.
Last week, they removed it. The good news? They got it all! My stitches come out tomorrow.
I posted about it on Facebook and got fired up about being a warrior. Nothing would get me down! I’d get a tattoo, paint my face with flowers—embrace the journey with strength and style! That lasted about two days.
On the third day, I looked in the mirror while changing my bandage (always a good time—not!). I saw my scar and thought, Oh wow… look at that. But then I reminded myself: I had cancer. And they got it all. That’s what matters. I am grateful. Now, I move forward. Healing will take time. I’ll need patience, acceptance, and a little humor along the way.
Speaking of humor, I used one of my youngest son’s tricks today. When I ran into the maintenance man, he looked at me—probably wondering about the bandage. Without missing a beat, I grinned and said, “Hey! You should see the other guy.”
