Friday, December 31, 2021

 Happy New Year! While it might be hard for 2022 to be a tougher year than 2021, it is possible. I am not the only one who had a terrible year but I don't want to be too optimistic about what's coming. One of my last not so good events happened right before Christmas when I went for my annual visit to the dermatologist. Because I am fair skinned, I have multiple AK spots (actinic keratosis) that are considered pre-cancerous even though only about 10% ultimately spread through cancerous cell division. But for some reason, perhaps the sheer number of spots, this time the doc chose to treat with a cream rather than cutting or freezing. This cream, fluorouracil, is pretty nasty stuff, using modern medicine to alter the dna and rna of the spots so they don't become cancerous or metastasize.

Add to that somewhat daunting description the fact that you have to spread the stuff on your skin twice a day for three weeks although the doc said if it got too painful or whatever I could stop after two weeks if necessary. I am fortunate for some unknown reason because the photos that the doctor showed me of what to expect and some of the online stories are so alarming that I was nearly dissuaded. It's been a week so far and I do have some very, very red spots but the surrounding skin is still normal looking. So I am hanging in there. Because this is a type of chemotherapy, nausea is another symptom but I have no way of knowing if my nausea is from the cream or something else. As everyone knows, growing old is not for the faint- hearted.