MY NEXT LEARNING CURVE - MAR 13 2012

Well, I said 2013 was about trying a couple new things and what I REALLY meant, was not just grinding out 10,000km in long rides over and over, but mix it up, start doing some UMCA racing seemed logical, which I'm thinking of starting this weekend at the Hill Country race.  Why not!  I've only ridden my bike 4 times since Stock Show ended Feb 4 and I've got weekends off now....makes sense....go race 200 miles in some of the toughest climbing :)

What happened is I get to learn more about skin cancer for now.

I'm going through a round of Efudex (topical chemo) for 2 more weeks on 8 spots/sections of pre-cancers.  Have 3 spots that biopsied malignant, Basal Cell Carcinoma and have surgeries scheduled.  I really expected the "surgeries" to be very low-key, local anesthetic, go back to work....not gonna happen.

Just met with my first surgeon doing the 2 spots on my chest.  I'm going to request my biopsy reports tomorrow because sounds like 1 may be attached to a lymph node and the other has squamous tendencies.  He talked about a tendril, so I need to research more.  My derm. really wanted me to go to this particular plastic surgeon and it turns out he'll be doing MOHS surgeries where they basically just keep cutting until they get healthy report from pathology.   I'm THRILLED to not have to do multiple surgeons for the same surgery!  The other surprise is it won't be local anesthetic, but a general IV anesthetic, which means now I have to be a pain in the butt by having a driver, Dan will probably stay with me that night, etc.  What else I heard was....blah blah blah....get cookies....blah blah blah :)

The other bummer that I need to pursue more is working out.  He didn't want me doing any for the 3weeks of stitches/bandages, but acquiesced to 1 week off and I need to push him regarding the following 2 weeks.  Sounded like in addition to stitches, he may change the bandage to a type of dermabond (I'm thinking super glue)  Regardless, I'm ready to start working on some fitness after working 7days/wk all winter and what else I heard was blah blah blah.....stay fat.....race very slowly.....blah blah blah.

The other surgery should be able to be done in the doctor's office since it's on my lower back, but it's also a spot that apparently didn't really trigger any alarm.  In fact, it almost didn't even get biopsied, yet turns out it's basal cell too.  ug.  So far, NOTHING has turned out as simply as I've been led or that I've thought.  Guess the good thing is the chemo treatment should be over the day after surgery....guess I need to ask about that too.  Sheesh!

So, now I do pre-op next Monday, do the simple surgery (I think) next Friday, do the MOHS surgeries the following Monday, March 26th and see what all I can learn from this of course.