I had my six-month check-up with Doc Brown!
"He's that cool dermatologist, right?"
Correct-o-mundo!
"So what went on with your body parts this time?"
Well, I told him about that large, crusty-edged, "mole" I had on my breast and that's gone now. I told him about being able to break off small bits of it and being concerned that it might be a tick, but that there had been no blood. He listened intently, as he does, and examined the area for any signs that a tick had been there. Nope!
"So what was it???"
Seborrheic keratosis. A benign growth that can start anywhere on the body, first appearing after age 40. In other words, another of those "you're just getting older" things.
"Great. What about the other little odd moles you've gotten?"
Those tiny red things that have popped up here and there? Yeah, those aren't moles, either, they're hemangiomas, kin to birthmarks and caused by blood vessels near the surface. These tiny little things can pop up any time, from in the womb right up to end of life. And you know something else I found out?
"What's that?"
You don't get any more moles after your forties. So, anything new that comes up on the skin, whether it is raised or flat, tan or brown, is not a mole, but something else. That isn't to say that your moles will stay healthy all your life, so it's important to monitor them for suspicious changes, like erratic color or odd shape or enormous height. But the other little distracting stuff that pops up, including skin tags and hemangiomas, they're harmless.
"Hey, good to know. Why don't we find this stuff out when we're younger?"
Beats me. Who's to say we were told and just don't remember?
"That's true. Young and oblivious to what lies ahead... oh, yes!"
Indeed. As for Doc Brown, I'm back to being on an annual exam schedule with him. So no more of his delightful bedside manner until then.
"Hey, something to look forward to!"
Agreed! Now, to get ready to see the VBS performance for the parents. Later!
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