ABC's of Moles

A few of you are aware that my friend, Mr. Mole, that has been with me my entire life, will die tomorrow at 9am sharp. Yes, it is time that I put him out of his misery, and start putting myeslf into a bit of pain. I have wanted to have him removed from my left arm for several years now...I just never had the guts to go through with it...until now.

I HATE needles, and my family thinks it quite hilarious that I am going in tomorrow, with Steven sitting in the waiting room, to have it removed. All the discomfort, pain, and yes...even several panic attacks await me in the next 24 hours (minimum, I'm sure!).

I don't think I have much to worry about, though. I did a presentation of moles a few years ago and found it very interesting what a person should be aware of when it comes to moles, and that everyone needs to monitor their moles, especially when considering the possibility of cancer.

So, let me share with you my findings. Here are the ABC's of cancer. This is what you NEED to be aware of:

Asymmetry: Asymmetry can be assessed by comparing one half of the growth to the other half to determine if the halves are equal in size. Unequal or asymmetric moles are suspicious.

Border: If the mole's border is irregular, notched, scalloped, or indistinct, it is more likely to be cancerous (or precancerous) and is thus suspicious.

Color: Variation of color (e.g., more than one color or shade) within a mole is a suspicious finding. Different shades of browns, blues, reds, whites, and blacks are all concerning.

Diameter: Any mole that has a diameter larger than a pencil's eraser in size (> 6 mm) should be considered suspicious.

So...after reading my blog...go to a mirror close by, and have a good look at yourself. If you see something suspicious (and no, I'm not refering to your zits or your hair)...maybe you should consider saying "goodbye" along with me.

TTFN...ta ta for now!