Finally

I have a tentative schedule for my breast reduction surgery, finally, to bring the big old saggy thing down to size to match the new puppy - February 2nd. That, of course, depends on the insurance saying OK, but they've been amazingly good so far.

Then on 2/29, I'm getting a MOHS surgery to remove a squamous cell cancer on my shin, and then on 3/28, I get another MOHS to remove a basal cell cancer on my inner elbow (or whatever the area is called that is the inside bend of the elbow!). Those last two are easy.

I've had one MOHS previously - had a basal cell under my breast, that no one would pay attention to until about 4 years after I started complaining about it. Fascinating surgery - they clean it out until they think they have it all, then they take a skinny slice and go look at it under a microscope (slightly fancier technology than that!) to see if there are any remaining cancer cells. If so, they go back and take out another slice and check again, and again if needed, until it's all gone. The one on my chest required more layers than I remember - it took five layers of sutures to close up the wound.

That was kind of fun too - in a warped sort of way. I was awake thru the extended surgery (local anesthetic), about three hours I think (15 or so years ago), and watching everything closely, of course. The lady doc was very patient with me. When it came time to close, she had her resident do it. So here is this mouthy blonde, watching this poor youngster sew up my chest with these big boobs in his face, getting instructions over his shoulder from the doc - he was a wreck by the time it was done, but he did a very good job. The scar, though about an inch and a half long, is very insignificant. It's moved though. It used to be in the crease under my boob, but since that boob is gone and now 'rebuilt', the scar is up about a half inch on the boob - it may be sitting higher on my chest, but since it has no 'sag', the boob itself rests a tad lower than it used to. One more scar is hardly noteworthy at this point!