Author Archives: Nicole

#LoveMe Challenge – is beauty only skin deep?

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The #LoveMe Challenge task for today is to share something beautiful. And that got me thinking about what I considered beautiful. Really, are people and things that are visually appealing beautiful to me? Well, of course. Humans are visual animals. So I started thinking about people who were beautiful… Let’s take my girl-crush on Angelina Jolie. I’ve always thought she… Read more »

“If I get skin cancer, I’ll deal with it then” – the dangers of indoor tanning and the insouciance of youth

Today there is an article in the New York Times titled “Warning: That Tan Could Be Hazardous” that really struck a nerve with me this morning. In the article, it talks about the dangers of indoor tanning and the link between tanning sessions in youth and melanoma. Doctors are quoted about the rise in the number of the cases of… Read more »

#LoveMe Challenge – we all have scars, right?

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3 week scar

Ironically, today’s #LoveMe Challenge is to share a scar…As readers of this blog may already know, I recently had an excision of an amelanotic nodular melanoma tumor removed from my knee. I’ve already covered the story of how it was found, how it was excised, and some of the “fun” of the recovery. Technically, I guess what I’m sharing isn’t… Read more »

Going public or being outed?

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Since I had been diagnosed with amelanotic nodular melanoma in early December 2014, I’ve actually been pretty cautious about who I tell. Blog nonwithstanding, I haven’t gone public on social media asking for prayers and positive thoughts. Part of me loathes those messages because unless you are actually a close friend, you’ll half-heartedly post “Praying for you” and then go… Read more »

#LoveMe Challenge – just for me

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Today for the #LoveMe Challenge, I’m supposed to share something that’s just for me. I’m not exactly sure what to do for this one. Just for me? Amelanotic nodular melanoma isn’t really something that just affects me, otherwise they would have named it after me 😉 and besides, hopefully, that’s not part of me anymore. I guess I’ll find out… Read more »

#LoveMe Challenge – a note to my future self

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Today’s #LoveMe Challenge is to write a note to your future self… Dear Future Nicole – First of all, I’d like to apologize for taking for granted that you will even exist. I know I spend sometimes excessive amounts of time worrying about the future and assuming that you would be there to handle things. Well, the last month made… Read more »

Infected wound care – homemade antibiotic

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When I went to my last follow-up, the doctor told me that while the infection was getting better, I needed to switch my antibiotic and do a rinse on the wound. Not Neosporin, not anything prepackaged…a rinse of distilled water and white vinegar. The only vinegar we seemed to have on hand was balsamic and I’m pretty sure she didn’t… Read more »

#LoveMe Challenge – a note to my pre-cancer younger self

For today’s #LoveMe Challenge task, I am to write a note to my younger self. Here goes… Dear younger Nicole – First of all, for God’s sake, start wearing sunscreen more religiously! If you saw the scar we’re going to have from skin cancer, you’d bathe in SPF 50 right now. That being said, we both know how much the… Read more »

#LoveMe Challenge – who loves ya baby?

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Today for the #LoveMe Challenge, I am supposed to talk about someone who loves me. I suppose I could go with the usual suspects – mom, dad, husband (although lately I’m not too sure about that one). I am an only child so there’s not a sibling/niece/nephew action I can pull from. And because I’m fairly introverted, I don’t have… Read more »

Excision wound care and healing – a lesson in patience and sewing

If you’re following the blog, you know that I had an amelanotic nodular melanoma tumor removed from my knee in mid-late December. Because it was in a bendy spot, I had to get an elliptical excision. And because amelanotic nodular melanoma is the most aggressive form of skin cancer, they had to go pretty deep into my leg tissue to… Read more »