R is for Radiation

We're all aware now days, of the relationship of UV radiation from the sun's rays and skin cancer. Although I wear a high number sun blocker all year round, I still sprout little red bumps or scaly places that my dermatologist sprays with liquid nitrogen to kill any malignant cells. And once in awhile, a bump will appear that is significant enough to require a biopsy for skin cancer. So far, all my bumps have been basal cell carcinoma that is localized and doesn't metastasize to spread to other parts of the body as squamous cell carcinoma sometimes does and malignant melanoma always does.

Yesterday, I had to go to my Dermatologist to have a Mohs procedure on the side of my nose and then over to my Plastic Surgeon for a repair of the site. Mohs is named for Fredrick Mohs the Doctor who developed the procedure to make sure all cancerous cells are removed while avoiding the removal of more healthy tissue than needed. They slice a bit from the site and look at it right away under a microscope to make this determination. If they get all the cancer cells the first time, home you go. If not, back you go to have another thin slice taken away. I was lucky yesterday, and I had only one trip to the back. Then I was off to my Plastic Surgeon who is both very good at his job and an interesting guy.

Yesterday, as he deftly applied his tiny stitches, he told me about his 700 pound steer that had demolished a gate to make his way into the luxurious community surrounding Prescott's premier golf course. That area also opens up access to some steep and rugged forest on upper Aspen Creek and, after having been spotted along the fringes of the golf course a few times, it seems that's where the poor fellow must have ventured.
"You need cowboys," I advised.
He already has two cowboys from a local ranch lined up to look for his steer saying "I've had several offers , but these two are good in brush. I think they'll get the job done."
Before I knew it, he was finished and I came home to watch a movie or two with my head carefully tilted back as instructed.
Most of my skin cancers come from seeds planted by UV radiation while I was a carefree teen riding out across the prairie with no hat and returning home with many a bad sunburn. But we didn't know then. Did we?