One piece of advice given to me long ago, and which has stuck with me through the years, is to always expect the unexpected.
But not even I was prepared for what happened to me during and after a recent doctor's office visit.
I had been telling Mom for months that I needed to finally get back into the routine of annual visits to the dermatologist. Having caught up on all the other necessary appointments over the last couple of years, like my annual physical (2), mammogram (2), the colonoscopy I had in 2023, and dental cleaning (1), it was time for a skin exam - which I hadn't had done in probably 15 years or more.
Going into the appointment, I was a little nervous since it had been a while since my last skin check. Plus, I had a couple of concerning things I wanted them to look at that I'd discovered by accident while getting dressed one day. I also had the thought in mind that mom had been diagnosed with basal cell on her upper lip about 25 years ago, which thankfully they were able to remove with no problems.
SEE ALSO -->> Caregiver's Diary Part 25: Stepping Out of the Caregiver Comfort Zone
The dermatologist's office I went to was the same one she's been going to for decades and has trusted. It's one of those that has multiple providers you can see, and I was seeing a different one than my mom's.
The derm and her staff put me at ease as they prepared me for the exam and situated me on the (uncomfortable) chair that turns into an exam table with a little maneuvering. The derm engaged in idle chit chat to keep me calm while she performed the exam, which I appreciated.
As she looked at one of the spots on my back that I had been concerned about, the word "biopsy" was used as she proceeded to remove it, which naturally alarmed me. She proceeded to tell me it was a small cyst (about the size of a pencil eraser) that was completely removed but needed to be sent to the pathology lab for testing.
"Oh, ok," I said, still kind of anxious about the situation but trying to process.
A few minutes later, as the exam continued, she asked how I was again, and I smiled and told her I'd been fine until a few minutes ago. She told me not to worry, that it was just precautionary.
Having found no other issues, the appointment concluded, and I went home with an antibiotic prescription in hand to ward off infection from the incision, wondering the entire way what the results of the biopsy would be, with stories I'd watched on YouTube about melanoma patients also in the back of my mind.
It wasn't until a couple of hours later that I realized they didn't mention how long it would take for the results to come in. So I messaged them to ask.
Come to find out, the cyst didn't have to be sent to the lab after all. The derm determined, upon closer inspection, that it was benign.
Needless to say, I was relieved.
What I didn't realize, though, is that the small incision in between my shoulder blades (no stitches), combined with the antibiotic they put me on would pretty much make me miserable in the week after the appointment, with the med causing me to be tired, sluggish, and extremely moody, and the soreness and tenderness (which I was told could last for up to two weeks) from the incision extending up my right shoulder blade to my neck area.
Simply put, my "get up and go" got up and left.
I was, and still am to some extent, uncomfortable doing the simplest things. Thankfully, Mom did a little role reversal on me and has been my caregiver over the last several days, which has taken some of the pressure off as I gradually try to shift back to a semi-normal routine.
The moral of the story is that sometimes what may seem like the simplest and most routine of procedures at the doctor's office can turn out to be doozies. Before your next doctor's appointment - whether it's for you or your loved one, make sure you ask a lot of questions ahead of time so you'll know exactly what may be in store and won't get hit with surprises like I did.
READ MORE: To take a look at my previous Caregiver's Diary entries, please click here.
