So, my wife and I have been going through a really scary time the last few weeks. I was driving home from the gym about three weeks ago, listening to NPR as usual, when I heard a story about skin cancer. The announcer was describing the differences between melanomas and carcinomas and how to tell them apart. The description he gave sounded very much like a spot I had seen on my wife's arm. I decided to call her right then and there. I told her to make an appointment with a dermatologist. She did and they were able to get her in the next day.
At the dermatologists office the doctor walked in and walked directly over to Christie and circled a spot on her shoulder.
"Is this what you're here about?"
Well, they did a biopsy and it came back positive for melanoma. I was at work when I found out. I cried a little. I never cry. Ever. In case you don't know, melanoma is the bad one, the fatal one. I pulled myself together before I went home. The last thing Christie needed was to see tears in my eyes. I had to be strong for her. I held her while she cried and I assured her that everything would be okay.
We went back to the doctor last week and they cut a hole in her shoulder one inch all around the area where the melanoma had been discovered, cutting all the way to the bone. Then they performed another biopsy on what they removed. We had to wait a week to find out the results.
Today we went to the Nevada Cancer Institute. We registered her with the Cancer Association of America. They gave her a little card with her picture on it. Everyone there was amazingly polite and professional and just plain nice. It scared the shit out of us. We signed papers with the Cancer Research Institute allowing them to use her blood samples for research. Needless to say, we were scared to death by the time we finally got to see the oncologist. Luckily, he had good news. The surgery had been a success and all the cancer was gone. We had caught it before it had grown more than a few millimeters. The difference between a few millimeters of melanoma and a few centimeters of melanoma is the difference between a 90% survival rate and a 60%. It hadn't spread. There's a 30% chance that it will reoccur but if she stays out of the sun and wears sunblock she should be fine. I looked over at her after we got the good news and smiled.
"I told you, you'd be okay. Evil never dies."
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9 comments:
wrath, i'm so sorry about the scare and for what you and your family went through. but i'm so glad to hear that things have turned out okay. the world would be a darker place without christie.
Wow. Glad she's okay. Ruthless and keen in matters of mind and flesh, just as one would expect from the Wrath family. ^_-
-erik
Sorry about the melanoma scare. It's something we definitely need to watch for here in the desert, and it's good that you not only heard the description, but recognized it and acted quickly.
--Bob-Your-Agent™
Wow. Sorry you had to go through that, but I'm glad things went well.
Hey Wrath, Sorry to hear about the scare but glad it was stopped in time. Good looking out. --andy
Thanks everyone. The wife is doing fine now. We really appreciate your sympathy and concern. My new mission is to lather all my friends and acquaintences in sun screen.
You are an amazing man. I've been following your blog for a couple of years now and I'm the kind of girl who has no interest or palate for the horror genre. My prayers are with you and your wife.
And, in case someone hasn't said it, NPR ROCKS. The fact that you found out more about melanoma is further evidence of that.
Glad to hear that your wife made it through this safely. My best friend in college recently went through this as well. Quick question, I am assuming your wife is white?
Wrath, in a time in our lives when it seems like everyone around us is dropping like flies, thank you for the news of your wife. It is nice to hear something good in the way of results, coming from the medical profession lately. I am happy to NOT have to be saying that I am sorry for your loss. Take Care, Stay Strong.
AZ
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