Holy Mole-y

I went for my annual mole check appointment today at the dermatologist's today. I am very, very bad about protecting myself from the sun so I always dread these appointments a little. Last year they found "irregular margins" on one of the three moles they removed and had to go back in so they could take like an inch chunk out of my skin. I was left with a really ugly scar that I hate.

This year they found three more moles that needed to come off. The dermatologist actually said that she could take "a bunch" but would just take the ones that looked the worst. I was thinking great, a bunch more moles that are going to have to come off! I told her that if she kept going at the rate she's been going that pretty soon I won't have any moles left. She didn't think it was funny. So now I have three more holes on my skin that will also turn into lovely scars someday. One of them was kind of deep and I had to get stitches. Ok, it's only one stitch but it still really sucks!

Besides the fact that the doctor is slicing off my skin, I hate going into these appointments because I'm always afraid of the results. What if they tell me I have skin cancer? I'm not so afraid of skin cancer because I think it's a less lethal form of cancer but I'm afraid they're going to tell me no more sun. How can a girl who lives in Florida and has a pool in her backyard not go in the sun?! It's like sending me to a wedding and telling me I can't have any cake! Crazy! Plus, I really like how I look with some color. I'm so very, very pale naturally so I love getting some sun to perk up my skin. I've never had much luck with sunless tanner so the summer sun is my saving grace.

I know that since I'm getting dangerously close to th-th-th-thirty that I really need to take better care of my skin. I recently had to buy $100 worth of makeup to disguise my freckly skin-damaged face, I've had possibly cancer containing moles removed, and I am extremely afraid of wrinkles. You'd think I'd run for the sunscreen! But I don't. The only part of my body that I religiously apply SPF to is my lips. I don't like dry peely lips so I always make sure to put on my SPF lip balm. I have sunscreen here, I just don't use it.

I guess I'll have to add protecting my skin to my long list of "Make Tricia Healthy" to-do's. Lose weight, exercise, eat vegetables, don't wear high pointy shoes, stand up straight.... There are some people who say that you can't worry too much about all the things that are bad for you because you're going to die eventually anyway. I wonder how I join that group?