Monday, September 1, 2014
Holy Mole !
Here it is! My mole. It resides on my back. My hair often covers it. Covers it so much that I frankly do not recall every seeing or feeling it before. My mole that has changed color recently. My mole that felt a bit raised. My mole which Sneezy found on my neck this past Sunday morning. The mole that I did not believe I had. The mole that I did not believe had changed color. So she took this photo to prove to me that it existed.
"Oh..." I say as my stomach starts to flip a little. Clearly that is a mole, clearly that is a funny color and clearly I may have a problem. As I continue to sit at the table with Doc and Dopey, I gingerly feel for the mole on my back. I pull aside my hair, and yep, there it is. I wonder in my mind, how long has it been there? Why did I not every see it before. I wonder when it started to raise, and change color. All during which time, there is endless chatter around me about the mole. Additionally, not only were some of the dwarfs witness to this revelation, but some out of town guests were included in the conversation. One was figuring out, in advance, how to encourage me, in the face of having to find a doctor here, remind me to not let it go, and to follow up this week to make sure that I did both, called the doctor and scheduled an appointment. One dwarf, was mocking me for my relentless love of all things sunshine, telling me it was only a matter of time before this happened! One dwarf was calling me a goner, melanoma victim, and telling me to eat another sweet roll, because it could be my last one. There was a side conversation between the Prince and another friend, discussing how the Prince needs to be more attentive and make sure since we live now in the sunshine state, that he should be more aware of the areas of my back and neck that get sun that I can not see on a regular basis. The Prince is a bit caught off guard and I can tell he is as surprised as I am. Another dwarf is discussing how much I am worth if I am no longer with the family. Should this mole be the death of me, they have determined to add on to the house, a memorial Ma Lingle wing.
I ask Doc to open up her laptop and look online about what it says about moles that are raised and change color. She reports after a brief search that since the edges are still intact that it is not the worst case situation, and that I should just get it looked at as soon as possible.
At this point I get up to leave the table, still shaking my head at the banter surrounding the mole's appearance and speculation about what it means for my future. Because it is a Sunday morning and I am getting ready to head out the door to church, I head into the bathroom for a few last minute touch ups. I pass the Prince, he asks if I am okay. I say, " yes, for the most part, and that more than anything it is a bit of a surprise, but I am sure it will be fine. " He says he is also surprised, but agrees that we just need to get it looked at.
I brush my teeth, put on my shoes, all the while resisting the urge to look at the mole on my own. I head out of the closet past the mirror one last time. I stop in front of the mirror, glance at my reflection, lift my hair off my neck, pause, take a deep breath and turn to the side to see the offensive mole with my own eyes as it sits on my neck. I squint because I am not wearing my glasses. I lean in a bit closer for a better look. I step away and flip on the overhead light. I look again. Move closer... thinking that it clearly does not look right, but for the life of me, I can not remember ever having a mole in this location. Using my finger, I brush against the mole. If feels crusty, rough. I can clearly see it's unique color. It sort of feels like a scab. I gently scrape my finger over the surface only to realize that it has lifted off my shoulder and is now under my nail. In a bit of a mild panic I look at the spot and just see skin. No blood, no redness. I look at the offensive mole under my nail, only to find that it was a tiny piece of shell that must have stuck with me after a day in the "splash zone"in the surf, at the beach the day before.
Oh yea, the mole that caused so much discussion, and speculation, was really just a small piece of rough green shell stuck to my neck that most likely fell out of my hair when I washed it that morning. Big sigh of relief, and a good reminder to pay more attention to my moles, and skin markings as I spend more time in the hot Florida sun. I thank the Lord for the gentle reminder, of how quickly things can change, for the good the bad or the indifferent, and how I need to be more aware and alert about my personal care and saftey. While many of the dwarfs, seemingly will be fine in my passing, I would like to spend a lot more time here on earth with them!!
You really CAN'T make this stuff up !!
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BAHAHAHA! Here I am already praying before I get to the end and it's a shell! Oh how I love reading your posts. Enjoy Florida and put on your sunscreen!
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