It's my wife's fault.

That's right. My wife, Janice, is the one responsible for me finding out that I have skin cancer. More precisely I found out that I have basal cell carcinoma. If you have to choose a cancer this is the one that you would want. At least that is what I understand after reading everything possible on the subject. That might be an exaggeration but you get the idea. Here is how it happened.

For quite a while Janice has been bugging me to get a mole on my back checked. A few weeks ago I had a little discomfort in my scalp and I decided that it was finally time to go see a dermatologist. The dermatologist that I knew and liked was out on maternity leave so I found another office to go to. The mole on my back, well it is just a mole. My scalp is fine, a little sun damage but nothing remarkable. A sample from the spot on my nose was taken for biopsy. That spot has been there for years. The previous dermatologist that examined me wasn't concerned about it. Of course my last visit with her was a few years ago so it's possible that the spot has changed. In any case that spot is the cancer.

When the office called to give me the results of the biopsy I was a little shocked. First I was shocked that it was a carcinoma. I knew it was possible but I didn't really expect it. Second I was shocked that they broke the news over the phone. Sure it is just basal cell carcinoma, but it is still cancer. And frankly it was a little disarming to hear. She wanted to schedule a procedure to remove it right then. I had to tell her that I would get back to her. I wasn't prepared to do anything. I needed more information. A lot more information.

They recommended Mohs surgery to remove the cancer. In Mohs surgery the doctor removes a layer of the area then checks the margins of what they removed for cancer cells. This is repeated until the cancer is gone. Then the area is repaired. Sometimes the repair is done by a plastic surgeon. Mohs surgery is largely successful in treating my kind of cancer. Unless something very unusual happens I should know I am cancer free when I leave the doctor's office.

The spot on the bridge of my nose is about the size of a dime. Of course I don't really know how big it is under the surface. It is impossible to tell until they get in there. I do expect to lose a pretty big chunk of skin on my nose. Which really brings up the second worst of my fears right now. A large ugly scar down the bridge of my nose.

I typically dress respectably and I don't consider myself unattractive. Perhaps not attractive enough for the cover of GQ Magazine. But I spend a lot of time in front of customers. Some I know well. Others I don't know at all. A certain amount of self confidence is important. I am concerned about the damage to my self confidence if I end up with a nasty scar on one of the most prominent features of my face (my mother insists my nose isn't big, I think it is a little large). This concern seems valid, at least to me.

Since the initial shock I have been trying to keep all of this in perspective. I did this to myself. I estimate that I played between 350 and 400 rounds of golf here in Phoenix, all without sunscreen. Not to mention afternoons by the pool and hikes through the desert. And summers fishing in Alaska. And really, this is most likely nothing and will end with at the most a scar on my nose. I hope!

It does mean that I will need to be more vigilant about checking myself for unusual looking things on my skin. I will also have to be a lot better about using sunscreen. In fact, I cancelled my plans to hike by the lake this weekend. I have postponed any future hikes until I find a sunscreen with a SPF of about 5,000. I am guessing that I will need a SPF that is something closer to reasonable as my nose heals. But you can be sure that sunscreen will be a part of my pack from now on. And I will use it.

The surgery is scheduled for this Tuesday. I'm sure glad Janice kept after me to go to get the examination. I should have listened earlier. I will concentrate on keeping my sense of humor in tact through all of this. After all, isn't laughter the best medicine?