February 15, 2006 7:24 AM
Maddy's biopsy - update
Sorry, no time for blogging yesterday, except that funny Cheney thing. I finished the book - hooray!
Thanks you for all the wonderful encouragement for Maddy. She was embarassed, of course: "You blogged that!" but when she saw how it worked to have people praying for her and sending their love, she was very grateful.
Finally talked to the doctor - after 7 calls. I know it's not her fault, she only works two days a week because of her children and she was busy seeing patients. Remembering how much time she took with Maddy, I was just grateful that we have a good doctor.
Maddy's mole - which was a rather beautiful, interesting flat dark brown spot on her outer instep, large enough that we always called it a birthmark - will have to go.
Dr. Khan said that her results were so rare that the lab actually sent her biopsy to Harvard (so now Maddy thinks she's famous!). The diagnosis:
Acrolentiginous melanoma (ALM).Melanoma developing on the palms and soles,, as well as on toes and fingers, represents only 10% of cases in Whites, but over 50% of all melanomas on Black and Asian skin. The tumor is characterized by a macular, lentiginous pigmented area around a nodule. Mechanical stress may lead to erosion and ulceration. Subungual melanomas present as pigmentations of the nail bed, and are commonly diagnosed at a late stage in development.
I got that from a site I didn't want to send you to because of the ugly pictures. Yuck. Like I said, Maddy's is just a very-nice looking flat dark spot.
In layman's terms, the doctor said that this is a vicious form of melanoma that sends out nodules and spreads rapidly. But we caught it early and Maddy will need to see a podiatric surgeon to have it removed immediately. It's a rather big deal as they have to remove a lot of tissue to capture any spread. They will be taking about one centimeter across and not just on the surface.
The doctor said that we were lucky (her word, not mine :) - that if we had come in a year later it would have been very bad news. She asked what had prompted us to come in.
Now, I had taken Maddy to dermatologists at least two other times - and they just kinda glanced at her moles and pronounced her okay.
This time I took her because she was complaining about a mole on her chest that had been somehow irritated. Because she's almost 13, I was looking for a woman doctor and I found this listing for a pediatric dermatologist.
I know God led us to the right place.
And then when I think farther back to when Maddy asked me to homeschool her this year and I was shocked because she is such a social creature. When people asked her why she wanted to be homeschooled, she couldn't even tell them why.
Now I see that had she not been at home, this probably would not have surfaced at all, as our time together would have been so limited and with so much to say in so little time each day it might have never been spoken or remained on my own back burner.
I know there are nonbelievers who read this blog - thank you for tolerating my Christian worldview! - and I just want to say: I was a nonbeliever parent for 17 years. Now I've been a believer parent for 18. I see - in my day-to-day life and in the longterm effects on my kids - a WORLD of difference. To me each day is full of miracles - big and small. This is a quiet miracle, but very big in my mind and I see the Holy Spirit there from the beginning: providing the closeness and time for Maddy and me to have thorough communication, grabbing my attention so I took her complaint seriously (you moms know we field a lot of such complaints, brushing off the minor, fleeting ones), guiding us to the right doctor.
People talk about traumatic situations being enough to drive you to your knees. This is one where my gratitude has accomplished the same thing.
Thank you, God for caring for us so individually and in such detail. Time after time, you have demonstrated to me as a mother how I can trust you. After all they are really your children I'm raising. Thank you for the responsibility and for being there to guide me!
Comments
Thank God it was caught so early--prayers for a smooth procedure for Maddy and that they get everything.
Posted by: KatieButler | February 15, 2006 8:10 AM
i share your gratitude! What a wonderful and precious Father our God is, what a wonderful and attentive doctor. Please thank Dr. Khan for her attention to detail and let her know of your blog friends who were praying for her too!
Posted by: floorplan | February 15, 2006 8:39 AM
I'd like to know the ucky website where you viewed Melanomas.
Posted by: floorplan | February 15, 2006 8:42 AM
Deb, I shudder to put this site up:
http://dermis.multimedica.de/dermisroot/en/17418/diagnose.htm
Like I said, Maddy's did not present this way - just a pretty birthmark - but maybe that's because the pictures are of what happens when it is let go?
Posted by: barbaracurtis | February 15, 2006 8:58 AM
Thanks, although I can't imagine a person letting a thing go that long without checking, i am glad to have that website.
Posted by: floorplan | February 15, 2006 9:26 AM
During my pregnancy I noticed that a little bitty mole on the back of my right calf look different. I asked my doctor to check it out. He said I should have it removed. I've since found out that moles change during pregnancy so it's unusual that he would suggest that. Anyway, it came back melanoma. I had a larger excision done 4 weeks after my baby was born and all is clear. My doctor commended me for noticing my little mole which was in such an inconspicuous spot. I thank God that I noticed it!
Posted by: Annie | February 15, 2006 9:50 AM
Yes, Barbara, God does work miracles, large and small, in our every day lives! There are NO coincidences! God works everything to our good.
I was praying for Maddy, and am so glad that she got a quick diagnosis, and will be quickly treated.
Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!
Posted by: Kathy | February 15, 2006 11:38 AM
I'm relieved to read that although this sounds serious the doctor - who truly does sound like a wonderful turn of fate that this non-Christian will have to call serendipity - thinks you have caught it in time. And that you now know about this and Maddy can have a regular "mole patrol." And, after having read about all of this, I'm going to have something on my neck checked out - which I only noticed because my son has started playing with it recently.
Posted by: swissmiss | February 15, 2006 12:03 PM
Im in tears. This is so amazing. I am so glad she will be okay. Continued prayers.
Posted by: paigeu | February 15, 2006 1:14 PM
I am so glad this was caught early! Also, Barbara, I would encourage you to keep educating yourself about melanoma and about any follow-up treatments/measures you need to take.
My brother also had melanoma. His mole was really atypical and would not have been diagnosed if his daughter hadn't been born with a strange birthmark. While at the dermatologist's office, my sister-in-law "happened" to ask, "Oh, by the way, there's this thing on my husband's back that won't heal..."
Isn't it amazing how God works those things out?
Posted by: Rebecca | February 15, 2006 1:25 PM
Yay for *ahem* "Luck" *ahem*
God is good, all the time, and I can totally see His hand in your daughter's timely diagnosis.
Posted by: mopsy | February 15, 2006 2:23 PM
God is so good. :) more hugs (((Maddy)))
Posted by: Monika | February 15, 2006 4:33 PM
I just wanted to let you and Maddy know that she will be in my prayers. I too am sure it was no "accident" that God, through all those little details, got Maddy to this doctor at this time. May she be blessed by God's healing hand.
Posted by: Barb Szyszkiewicz, sfo | February 15, 2006 5:16 PM
Thank goodness for the timely diagnosis. I am happy that she will be ok.
Posted by: Rebecca P. | February 15, 2006 7:18 PM
Boy, God is with us all the time but sometimes He just makes it known that He is there! I am glad that Maddy will have those moments in her life that she can look back on and say, "My God was with me"
Posted by: Wendy | February 16, 2006 7:44 AM
Thank you so much for all your prayers and concern. Maddy will have the offending mole (which we will miss because it was a distinctive mark) removed 2/20 at 2:30. Sunday she is in a singing competition - her life certainly seems full right now.
And swissmiss - I love that phrase "mole patrol" and it will become part of our family lexicon. Thanks :)
Posted by: barbaracurtis | February 16, 2006 8:01 AM
Barbara: I am so thankful that Maddy's surgery went well. This is a very late comment, but I wanted to thank you for mentioning Maddy's condition on your blog. My 12 year old son has a LOT of moles. After reading your blog, I remembered he had one that was sort of bothering him awhile back. I checked it out and it didn't look quite right to me. We looked around and found a couple more that were either more than one color, asymmetrical, or both. The pediatrician has now seen him and we've been referred to the dermatologist. I am relieved (and thankful!) that the pediatrician didn't seem overly concerned about any of them, but she did think it was time for him to get "hooked up" with the dermatologist to have all the moles checked and then continue with regular checks. I don't know if I would have pursued this if it hadn't been fresh in my mind from your blog. Thank you, Barbara. God used your blog to prompt this mom to take action.
Posted by: Cheryl | March 17, 2006 1:16 PM
