Our doodles need us to be healthy, too!

[Deanna & Desi & Cori]

Next month I’ll be turning 59 – my that sounds OLD!  More importantly, my 59^th birthday will mark the 20^th anniversary of my thyroid surgery.  The week before my birthday, AT MY ROUTINE OB / GYN VISIT, my doctor found a thyroid lump.  Even though he assured me that most thyroid lumps are benign, he sent me to a surgeon for a biopsy.  The results came back “inconclusive”, so we decided to do the prudent thing and remove it.  Thank God we did as the post-operative pathology report confirmed that the lump was, indeed, malignant and just ready to “break out of its confines”.  Why am I telling you this?  I want to remind you all – my doodle friends – of the importance of regular checkups!  I was 39, healthy, and very busy.  It was very tempting to cancel that routine exam, but I’m here today because I kept that appointment!

 

Fast forward twenty years to this week.  My belief in the importance of regular checkups has just doubled.  For years, my dermatologist has been watching a spot (a lentigo or “age spot”) on my cheek.  We’ve tried a number of treatments to get rid of it, but each time it would come back.  A few years ago, she recommended that we biopsy it – the results showed it to be benign.  Well, last week, she recommended a repeat of the biopsy – AGAIN AT A ROUTINE CHECKUP.  This time, the pathology report showed that it is now a melanoma.  Fortunately, it is “Stage 0” at this point.  Next Monday, I will have it removed (along with a fairly large chunk of my cheek), but because we caught it early, my prognosis is great!

 

As doodle lovers, we make sure that our pups are appropriately vaccinated and are seen by their vets on a regular basis.  And that’s important.  But our doodles need us to be healthy too.  We’re all busy and with healthcare costs skyrocketing, it’s tempting to ignore our own routine checkups.  Don’t do it!!  That routine visit may prove to be anything but routine.

Here's to good health and happiness...  

[Bonnie and Kona]

Deanna, We are so glad you have had such excellent medical care. Hang on to your wonderful attitude. Hoping the surgery and recovery is a breeze and that you will continue to care for yourself as well as sweet Sedona. Keep us posted on how things go for you. hugs and doodlekisses

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

Thanks for sharing Deanna. The reminder is a good one! Good luck with the surgery!

[BG and Gavin]

Thanks for the great reminder - you have done us all a service.  Good luck with your surgery Deanna!

[Phoebe's Mom]

What timely post for me and a wonderful reminder for others.  Next Tuesday, I will be having my yearly thyroid bloodwork and thyroid ultrasound and the following week my appointment with my endocrinologist.  I dread this part of every year but, since both my gran and my mom each had thyroid cancer, I follow up each year and stress out to the max until the results are in.  Interestingly, I also have a lentigo that showed its ugly self back when I turned 40--I go every 6 months to the dermatologist for full-body scans and to watch this mark. Not fun but so worth it in the long run if we have the chance to catch something early.  Thanks, Deanna and good luck next week!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Deanna, Thank you for another great reminder. I am glad you found everything at an early stage. Good luck next Monday. Please take care and continue to get all your routine check-ups!!

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

What a great reminder....you have certainly learned from experience.  Thanks for sharing this!

[F, Calla & Luca]

I am glad you found all these things at an early stage. And 59 is young, all things are relative. Thanks for the good reminders and good luck with the removal.

[Jennifer and Jack]

Oh I am so glad they caught it so early!!!! that saved your life for sure!!! I A few weeks ago had a Melonoma scare which turned out to be a total normal mole, a keratin one!!!!

Iin the little reading I did on it I know how serious it can be if not caught early and I am so glad yours was a ZERO!!!!

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

So happy that you found both early enough. Thanks for sharing, you seem to have very good doctors on your side!

[Carol and Banjo]

Thanks Deanna....Being 58 I've become more aware of how important taking 'care" is!     So glad your doctors have taken good care of you!!!!   Good health and happiness to you too!