Ah the Fun of Growing Older#

Note, first, that I did NOT say “growing old”, I said “growing older”. I draw that distinction because I do not feel old. I’m in my mid 60s and feel physically and mentally much younger. I’m not sure who that old man in the mirror is (though he looks a bit too much like my grandfather!)

But growing older is just part of living and is something that we all do, no matter what age we are. What prompted this short post, though, is that I recently found a growth on my left shoulder that turned out to be basal cell carcinoma. The “good” part of that is that basal cell is usually not a big issue. It does not pose any particular threat as it rarely, if ever, metastasizes to other areas and doesn’t generally lead to death. It’s easily treated by removal. And, once removed, is unlikely to recur – at least in that area.

Since I was visiting the dermatologist anyway, I wanted to get a cyst on the back of my thigh removed, as well. The cyst has been there a while and last summer created a bit of challenge as it burst, leading to weeks of wound care while the wound healed. I didn’t want to go through that again so it had to come out!

So, off I go to the dermatologist’s office and while I’m there he noted another spot on my left hand which he recognized as squamous cell carcinoma. Fortunately, like basal cell, squamous is generally not particularly hazardous unless left untreated. It can metastasize, though that is apparently fairly uncommon. Still, getting it out is the wisest course of action. Now, both squamous cell and basal cell are commonly caused by exposure to too much sun. That’s one of the down-sides of growing older – more exposure to the sun.

So, I ended up having three surgical sites: Left shoulder, left hand, and left posterior thigh. I thought it interesting that all three issues were on my left side. The downside is that I am left-handed. I do damn near everything with my left hand. And that’s where the rub really comes in.

The surgical site on my left hand is about an inch and a half long and runs between my thumb and first finger. The location of that incision with its MANY stitches, together with the pressure bandage that they applied is severely limiting my ability to use my hand. Typing, for example, is a significant challenge. Now, as I mentioned earlier, I am left handed. Having my hand bandaged, somewhat painful when I move it or try to pinch between my thumb and first finger means that I’m having to rely on my right hand more, which is …. challenging. I am not a ambidextrous!

And just to make things even more interesting, the surgical site on the back of my leg is at precisely the spot where the edge of the chair hits. If I forget to sit carefully, that spot will absolutely remind me that I have a wound there!

All of this is the result of growing older. Except for the cyst, the two cancerous site are absolutely the result of years of exposure to the sun and that can only come from growing older.

While overall I feel much younger than my calendar years I am, unfortunately, experiencing the effects of age. Hopefully, though, it will be quite a long time before I have to deal with any more “old age” effects.