LOVE T-Shirt Weather in December

So we had a few more 70 degree days leading up to Christmas.   I also decided to brave going out without the bandage covering my biopsy spot.  It isn't healed, but it doesn't look bad.  Of course as I sat in the "cell phone" store waiting my turn, while listening to people cough and sneeze (this weather is horrible for sinus sufferers), I wish I did have a barrier of protection over the biopsy site until it was fully healed.  Of course, then what happened would not have happened.

It was 3 days before Christmas, and I was pacing, leaning, sitting and waiting, number 17 in the queue, I got to do lots of people watching.  I also noticed that eye contact with me was still including a glance at my bicep.  I would just smile when they would look up and realize I had caught them looking.

Well, as we were waiting for the system freeze and reboot the associate looks at me and says "do you mind me asking about your arm?"  Instant excitement!  I told her that I had melanoma surgery a year and a half ago, and that I just had another spot on top of the scar removed.  She looked confused and said she thought only old people got that.  I told her that anyone can get melanoma, even children, but that in most cases it was preventable.  I asked her if she used sunscreen regularly, since she had olive skin.  She said no, and then admitted to the occasional use of a tanning bed when she was younger.  I was able to tell her my history with the sun, and how lucky I was that I caught it early.  I also used a little of her vanity, because her hair and make-up were very precisely done, and talked about my scars and age spots.  I happened to pick up a bookmark with the ABCDE's on it when I got my scan last month, and it was still in my purse, so I wrote down the address for a reference site on it for her.  She was really receptive and even thanked me for being so open.

I thought that would be the end of it, but yesterday we went back to the store to activate the phone and transfer things over.  She smiled when we walked in but was helping someone.  My husband stepped outside a minute, as she was between customers.  She came by me and said "I just wanted to thank you for that information the other day.  I went to that website, and I have an appointment with a dermatologist next month"  I was so caught off guard.  I just smiled, but luckily she walked away to call her next customer before I could respond.