The latest...

Just before school was out, I was hugging my son in an extended kind of hug. I was eye to shoulder with him.( Thankfully, I kiss with my eyes closed and hug with them wide open!)

Looking me in the eye was an ugly mole I didn't remember seeing before. Off to our family dr....mole removed...6 days later, pathology said it is melonoma, bigger biopsy needed. 8 days later, with a trip squished into the week between, he underwent surgery. All layers of skin removed, down to the muscle and a skin graft taken from the same upper arm. 8 days later...we thank God that there was not cancer in the lower layers of skin.

So, if you are skweemish (how do you spell that??), don't look. But otherwise, here is a peek at the result. The graft site is still wrapped and has to be for 10 days. Thus, we haven't seen that.

This isn't your melanoma poster child. Not tons of sun exposure, only a couple of sun burns to speak of, never runs around shirtless...dark hair, hazel eyes, no family history of melanoma.
Check your family closely...this was a wakeup call.

Buy the sunscreen recommended after much testing. Yes, it is expensive. So??

Eat healthy...drink water.....etc. etc.

When you've been pampered and cared for, you must return the favor to other family members. Here, he walked in and said, "I'm Dr. Habeeb, I am here to help you"...as he rubbed his sister's feet with oil when she wasn't feeling well. He described how to massage feet...."you squish the mushroom..." all said with quite an accent. I think Jess got a dose of laughter along with Dr. Habeeb's treatment.

LOVE this face! This is a "I'm shooting off fireworks and no I'm not worried what the neighbors think" smile! Teenagers! :)

Happy 4th of July! We will celebrate our country, our freedom, and our many blessings!