Blemishes

I have been cursed with troublesome skin.  I'm not sure if it's because I have the dreaded pale, freckled Irish skin or because of all the sunburns I've had in my lifetime but I wish I'd taken better care of it when I was younger.

On Thursday, I finally got in to see my dermatologist, the one I've seen every 6 months for around 10 years or so.  She specializes in skin cancer and that's why my family doctor sent me to her in the first place when I had my first one.  I've had many since and some required minor surgery but so far I haven't developed melanoma which is the worst and deepest skin cancer you can get.  I'm grateful for that bit of luck.

I had no new skin cancers but I did have a few weird blemishes that OHIP doesn't cover but irritates the heck out of me so I paid $500 to have 3 of them removed...not cheap but I'll feel better once they've healed.  She also sprayed the heck out of a bunch of little pre-skin cancer spots that OHIP does cover.  They just appear as very dry skin spots.  I haven't had any actual skin cancer in quite a few years but maybe that's because I refuse to leave my dermatologist for longer than 6 months.  She keeps a good eye on me.

Getting sunburned in my youth meant nothing to me at the time, just a few days of discomfort and then the skin peeled off.  I see sunburn very differently now and don't expose myself to the sun if I can help it, staying in the shade and using sunscreen religiously.  You can still be affected by the sun's rays even if you stay in the shade so it's important to wear sunscreen, too.

My dermatologist also specializes in skin care like Botox so I often see young women at her office.  Personally, it's never much mattered to me that wrinkles appeared as I aged but, then, I wasn't trying to find work in a competitive younger market or a new husband or boyfriend.  Women have pressures on them now that I've never much thought about before.  My skin repairs have been for medical reasons or because the blemishes interfered with my life.  The wrinkles just came and stayed.

I have friends my age who have barely a wrinkle on their faces so I know I've been shortchanged but, at this point, I don't much care.  I have what's important...a pretty good life.