Just Ask Christopher

I’ve been going to a skin doctor for about fifteen years having them look for cancers. As a blonde-haired, white guy, you would think there would have been a lot. Lots of pre-cancers, yes; but until now, no official skin cancer.

Well, now it’s official: that thing on my leg is skin cancer. Basal cell carcinoma, to be precise. It showed up about a year ago; but I didn’t have it seen to because of the pandemic. Finally decided to go have it checked out. After a biopsy confirmed it was cancer, I had it removed in a pretty simple and straightforward procedure.

Basal carcinomas are pretty basic. They sit and grow in the upper layers of skin. They don’t burrow or spread like other skin cancers can – like melanoma. But, if not tended to, they can cause all kinds of problems, so I’m really glad that this one is history.

12 September 2021

Books I’m Reading

Am reading this.

Just finished reading this.

21 August 2021

Dial “D” for Dialysis

This was me this morning: getting my first official round of dialysis at my new official facility. I’ve known this was coming for just shy of six years – when a side effect of my bone-marrow cancer began damaging my kidneys.

I’ve had a long time to prepare; but nothing prepared me for the consequences of this first treatment. (I had six treatments while recently in the hospital for eleven days.) Not only did this treatment throw me for a loop, it also gave me the worst “brain fog” I’ve ever experienced, leading to me collapsing on the living room floor. (Luckily, my husband Matt was in attendance and helped me.)

As I write this, it’s been 6.5 hours since the end of my treatment. The brain fog has mostly lifted, but my body feels like it's being remotely operated by one of those guys working a pair of those robot arms. So bizarre.

Clearly, changes will need to be made to my treatment. And they can’t come soon enough.

21 July 2021

Books I’m Reading

Am reading this.

Just finished reading this.