Though I've reached an age where, if I were a car, I’d have been considered an antique twenty years ago, I had never needed a single stitch on my body—until yesterday. That changed when my dermatologist removed a patch of skin exhibiting squamous cell carcinoma from my forearm and then stitched me back together.
My squamous cell carcinoma (or
"squeamish cell," as I like to call it) began quietly—first as a
rough patch of skin and later as a persistent sore that refused to heal. This
type of cancer thrives on UV damage caused by exposure to the harsh sun.
According to my doctor, nearly 40 percent of fair-skinned individuals are
affected by this form of cancer at some point.
Though seemingly harmless at first,
squamous cell carcinoma can grow aggressively, spread, or even metastasize.
It’s nothing to trifle with.
Today, I stand with my first-ever
stitches stretching three inches across my forearm. Weirdly enough, 16 hours
after the procedure, I have experienced zero pain.
—Mitchell Hegman
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