Check Your Skin!

In September 2014 I went in for my first ever visit to a dermatologist to get all the freckles and moles I have on my body looked at, since New Zealand is a very high risk country when it comes to sun exposure. Little did I know that, although all my freckles and moles came back clear, a small lump I had on my forehead that had been there for a long time ended up being the cause for concern. It had started as a small pock scar from a bout of chicken pox in my early twenties and had lately turned into a small, shiny lump that would get irritated now and again. A quick biopsy came back positive for a form of skin cancer known as Basal Cell Carcinoma. Thankfully it very rarely metastasizes, but it's still a shock to hear someone say you have a form of cancer. So on October 8, 2014 I had a Mohs surgery procedure done to remove the lump.

To help bring awareness to this all too common cancer that can be dangerous if not treated, along with the other forms of skin cancer that can be life threatening if not discovered early, I decided to document the days following in pictures. Not to mention the fact that having a little fun with my post surgery appearance helped me to deal with this change to the look of my face forever. I did start to make up battle stories for the scar as well. The supernatural version being that it was caused by Voldemort's more evil cousin - eat your heart out Harry Potter! The NYC version was that I got into an altercation with someone who decided to punch me in the face, so I tore off their hand ... with my forehead!

Everyone, please be diligent and check your skin!