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I am doing great! 3 years no treatment, no growth or even any evidence of NHLymphoma ! Nice!

But, and there's always a but... I just learned I have a skin cancer. Doc said he would call me in a week, I called today, biopsy was 2 days ago and it was positive. Had to ask him what it was called again. Basil cell carcinoma. Doesn't spread, needs to be cut out but because it has grown for at least 3 years, it got big and I will need to NOT do things like fish for a few weeks. So, told him I'll be back after my salmon fishing trip with my boy and the end of trout season in October. Priorites

Here is the frustrating thing ..... I have an oncologist… he is a CANCER DOCTOR…. But he is a Lymphoma specialist and when I showed him a bump, lump, growth on my upper back he said he wouldn’t know if it was cancerous cause he knows nothing about skin cancers. Then my pcp said oh it’s blah blah blah, nothing to worry about. After a post about T cell skin cancer, I looked it up and thought maybe it could be B cell NHL skin cancer and asked my onc. He said no it’s not. My pcp then said if you want , you could ask a Dermatologist to look at it. So a couple years go by, I finally find a skin doc who takes medi-care and he says its cancer and all they have to do is cut it out. But how much less would this be if one of my docs told me a couple years ago to go to a skin doc??

Sometimes…. Doctors, medical doctors who’s job it is to fix the unhealthy stuff in me but don’t…. SUCK!

Vanjo, I'm happy to hear you're doing well and no sign of (internal) cancer, and so sorry to hear this latest. The Doc should have told you to see a Dermo ages ago if the thing concerned you.

My dad had several patches of skin cancer taken off his face. Same as you, basil cell carcinoma. Fortunately for him, he had deep creases in his face (from the same sun that caused the cancer) and the places they needed to cut out were along those creases, so he never had any noticeable scars.

Enjoy your fisihing trip with your son, and get this thing removed ASAP!!!

It's good to 'see' you.

If you have to choose what kind of cancer to have, basal cell is the one to choose. I've had several, and they were a picnic compared to the melanoma I had a few years ago.

Cat

Vanjo...glad to hear that for 3 years you haven't needed treatment! Yeah for that!

Sad to hear that it took a few years to diagnose the skin cancer. Boo for that.

Just get it taken care of and wear your sunscreen.

(((vanjo)))

Hurray on 3 years!

Boo on the skin cancer.

Double boo on the doctor's. Can you submit the report for investigation? That the oncologist didn't recognize it is definitely a failure. The hospital is setting themselves up for trouble if someone specialized in cancer recognition failed to spot it.

basil cell is treatable just remove it and gone. My dad had it done on his ear and my mom just had some taken off of her nose.

Good luck to you!!

Sorry to hear about the skin cancer, Vanjo, but glad to hear you are doing great otherwise.

It does suck when the doctors we depend on aren't as dependable as they should be, but at least you know now and you can get it taken care of and get back to fishing.

Good luck to you!!

It's good to 'see' you.

I don't know how the fuck you can do that but I am putting duck tape over this new MFing computer video cam. Did I have my pants on? Catch me picking my ass or nose? Sucks you can do that

my friend at work asked her primary for a referral for a bump on her nose and the Dr. wouldn't do it, said it was nothing!

months later and a horrible procedure performed - UGH! It was basil cell as well, thank goodness but was so spread out that the procedure was worse than it could have been.

Glad you're doing well otherwise Vanjo - have fun fishing!

Thanks for the replies! I know it is no big deal and easy to get rid of. It's just that it is number two. It is cancer. And cancer sucks! And its hard to go it alone and keep quiet. It helps to hear it ain't so bad, etc. It is not a real surprise.... for the last 8 years I prefer to mow ,on a rider, in the heat of the day so I get tan. Tanned people"look" healthy and say so. When one doesn't feel too very healthy... it is nice to hear ya look it at least. I don't know I will do things any different and most likely will never buy sunscreen. Just now, I will see the skin doc and not waste time with the other two. They will both HEAR about this... trust me.

Happy to see you!

(Yes, & your pants were ON! )

I finally have a GOOD doctor.

Finally!

He told me to get a complete derm check up and I did. It was a relief.

This new doctor of mine, an Internist, is in his late 30s and has a complete derm exam, head to toe, every year.