Recurrences

I explained to a friend over dinner last night that the bandages on my face were the result of recent skin cancer surgery.  I said it was the bad cancer--melanoma.  Then she proceeded to tell me she had three or four (I lost count, I was so stunned) cancers removed, including melanoma on her back (not clear if she had a second cancer on her back) a squamous skin cancer from her face, and recently another cancer near the bridge of her nose.  The dermatologist simply said "that's cancer" and removed it in the office.  In fact, her dermatologist--the same one I go to--has removed all of my friend's skin cancers.

Her first skin cancer was melanoma, on her back, which she said was several years ago.  She saw the dermatologist every 6 months for about 5 years. I explained that I have to go every 3 months; I'm not sure why I'm going more frequently.  Is it because my melanoma was on my face, or have the skin cancer treatment protocols changed?  And why did I go to a skin cancer surgeon to have the melanoma removed--again, was it because it was melanoma on my face, or the size, or what?

I was surprised at how matter-of-fact she was about the skin cancers, especially the melanomas, and the fact that she has had recurrences, including one very recently.  But she has a lot on her mind--other physical issues as well as personal ones--so maybe she has a different perspective on this than I do.  My focus may be oversized.

I put sunscreen and makeup on the scar for the first time--the scar consists of small gashes at each end and a big red splotch (with no visible cut line) in the middle area.  The bottom gash is too wide for the makeup to cover, so it sits there, open.  I wonder if it just never healed together very well, because it was the area that kept getting wet (when I ate) and I had trouble keep the bandage closed at that end.

I feel a slight gripping, a clutching on my cheek--maybe from the inner stitches, or from the skin trying to stretch, or  both.  But I also felt a gripping, a clutching, on my lower left shin as I was taking my walk this morning.  Near the bluish/purple/red area that now looks ominous to me.