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37 skin biopsies, 16 dysplastic nevus (moles), 3 severely dysplastic (atypical) requiring wide local excisions, 0 melanoma, 1 basal cell carcinoma-staying on top of it!

After many many years of cutting I had my first skin cancer biopsy and it is on my nose. I am not happy about where it is located but I am happy that it is basal cell carcinoma and not Melanoma. I had Moh's surgery and I am not worried about the scar. I was VERY LUCKY THAT I ONLY NEEDED ONE CUT! It will be temporary but in the name of the best case recovery I do plan on taking it easy just because of it being located on my nose.  How Mohs Surgery Works: Excision of the Tumor: The surgeon removes the visible part of the tumor along with a thin layer of surrounding tissue. Tissue Examination: Immediately after removal, the excised tissue is processed and examined under a microscope. The surgeon looks for cancerous cells at the edges (margins) of the tissue. Further Removal if Needed: If any cancerous cells are found at the edges, the surgeon removes another thin layer of tissue only from the area where the cancer cells remain, and the process is repeated. This step-by-step approac...
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6/7 months FLEW BY!! EVERYTHING LOOKS GOOD!!

So today was my 6 month radiation oncologist check-up (except it was 7 months). It was a little emotional walking back into the radiation clinic for the first time since being there every day. My last check up was in Nov. and it was via telehealth because Covid19 was CrAzY at the time (Nov. 2020). This oncologist impresses me as he looks at everything, including my brain MRI from Dec. I now have TWO amazing Drs. looking at my brain MRIs. He told me that looked great too! Do you know what is better than having a doctor telling you a scan looks good, it is TWO doctors telling you that.  He also took the time to ask about other issues (my other oncologists don't do that). I made the mistake of telling him about some hip pain I have had this last week. He told me to try to cut sugar to see if that takes away the inflammation. Ugh. That's the last time I complain. LOL Then he said, "EVERYTHING LOOKS GOOD!! SEE YOU IN A YEAR!!"  Love those words. That doesn't mean I don...
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Taylor Swift and Folklore, another time stamp on my journey

This is the album that came out during the pandemic, the summer of my cancer diagnosis. I listened to it on the way to radiation most days. It is such an easy listening, musical, goose bumpy, teary album. It will always remind me of isolation, facing M’s senior year, and cancer. What a time in my life. Thank you Taylor for once again being there. Loved this film! Very goose bumpy!!!!  Ephiphany as a tribute to today’s pandemic heroes.....😭  Peace was a song that I just listened to in order come to peace and fix the anxiety that came with my cancer diagnosis. Something about it was soothing. Probably the high pitched metronome in the background. 😂
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My next 5 years began today...

Today I start this hormone blocker. I will take this for 5 years and hope side effects are minimal. This is to prevent reocurrence  on the right and breast cancer on the left.  Follow up to this drug and my medical oncologist will be in 3-4 months. Wish me luck! 
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Back to teaching in a pandemic

So I couldn't let this blog go without documenting teaching in person, in a pandemic. I wear a mask and a microphone and honestly it isn't as bad as a thought. The worst part is definitely not being able to hear the kids speak in their masks. Also the planning it takes to get ready for remote students, quarantined students, and in person students is a lot! And of course juggling students on zoom with students in your class is also a lot. I am looking forward to the day this stops for sure but I'm learning that I can do hard things. And better than I thought I was capable of. I am doing OK. How are you doing? 
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Almost healed

It's been awhile. I've been busy. Working 5 days a week during a pandemic is not for the weak. I'm doing it though! I can do hard things. Anyway back to healing. I DID get a rash, DANG IT! and it showed up  2 weeks after I finished. They were not wrong. They said that week would be the hardest. However my daughter has severe eczema and when I compare my rash to her skin I still think I got off easy.  I think it is finally getting better now, a week later. I ended up stopping my prescription and using this Soothing Salve and I think it is working. This came in a  patient care package found here.   I have since repurchased this for my daughter.  So I have follow ups next week. I was glad that one was in person and one was telehealth. I got a phone call because they did ask me to do both via telehealth, because Covid19. It's getting pretty bad. I did say though that I thought they needed to see this rash. It's better but not gone, and it's taking it's sweet tim...
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Teachers, You CAN take the time

Teachers, I took 10 weeks off from my job for surgery and radiation.  If anyone would ask me advice I would say if you can’t easily leave your job, don’t even go in. Not working was be\st for the kids (stability) , best for the sub (stability), and best for me.  Surgery and treatment went really smoothly, and the whole time I stressed about not being at school. I felt good enough to be there, however every time I considered it I got really anxious. I had weekly appointments. I didn’t always know what was going on either.  Add Covid precautions, remote teaching while teaching in person, and Covid stress and the answer was clear. It baffled me though that many people not affiliated with schools did not understand why I wasn’t working.  Going back to work is going surprisingly well and I’m really glad I took that time. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
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