How an off-the-shoulder top saved my skin
On a whim, I bought a festive top late this spring that could be worn over or over the shoulder. I hadn’t bared my shoulders since college, and for the past three decades I’d lost the confidence to pull it off.
When I first wore this new blouse, I pulled it up. Then on a warm August evening, on my way to a special dinner, I took some courage and bared my freckled shoulders. I turned to see my back reflected in the mirror and saw a darker than usual stain.
I interviewed my kids and my best friend’s chat group, and we all agreed it needed some attention – probably nothing urgent, but nothing to ignore – so I made an appointment with my dermatologist the next day. I hadn’t had a full body skin check in two years as I canceled my appointment in March 2020 when the world collapsed and couldn’t make a new appointment.
Four weeks later, during the examination, I said to my doctor’s assistant, “I am sure that is nothing,” as if I were an expert on dermatological issues, or perhaps in my own words.
He examined the stain, noticed its asymmetrical shape, uneven edges and differences in color (from pink to dark brown) and declared it to be possibly suspicious. He was doing a shave biopsy right in the office, and soon that spot was on its way to a lab.
In the days before my PA called with pathological results, I prayed it was just a renegade, attention-grabbing freckle. His call showed no such luck, although there was some good news.
The suspect site was melanoma in situ, the earliest stage of the most feared skin cancer. “In situ” means that the malignant cells were still limited to the epidermis or the upper layer of the skin and are therefore easily treatable and curable.
I listened to the next steps and then asked questions that started with the words, “You don’t know me very well, but I’m a single mother whose husband died of brain cancer. I have to be able to tell my children that we will do everything we can to take care of it. “
He had previously stated that he would perform a wide excision that would remove a space of at least 1 centimeter from the area that had been biopsied. Since it was detected early, I didn’t need any additional tests or treatments. A quick day surgery would probably take care of it forever.
I was back in the office just a few days later, ready to dispose of any remaining cells with bad intentions. My sister joined me for moral support.
I was awake and as brave as possible for the procedure, relying on prayers from loved ones to calm my nerves and vials of local anesthesia given through needles – as many needles – to numb my back. My PA expertly cut a diamond-shaped piece of skin from my shoulder blade, cauterized the area, and sewed two layers together. Over the next two weeks, 20 external sutures pulled down my back.
All of the excised skin was sent to a laboratory and declared cancer cell free – news was instantly shared with my kids and my best friend chat group.
I will be returning to my PA for a full body skin check every three months for two years and it will remove anything that looks rotten. I will continue to smear myself with sunscreen and work on reapplying more often (while wishing I could go back to the 1970s with SPF 50). I remember that it is advisable to seek professional advice sooner rather than later.
And the next time I wear this cheeky, strapless top, I’ll show a vertical scar – a walking billboard to protect the skin and a permanent celebration of the early recognized and defeated cancer.
Tyra Damm is a briefing columnist. She can be reached at tyradamm@gmail.com.
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