Terrified, I almost cut it off myself before my mother (a nurse practitioner) told me how that would be ridiculous because then it couldn’t be biopsied. (She left out all the other reasons that it would be ridiculous.)

I got it removed later that month and sure enough, there were pre-cancerous cells present. Since then I’ve had 3 other freckles removed off my back, all testing negative, although I still live in fear every time I think about skin cancer.

I’m terrified of the kinds of skin cancer (like yours) that aren’t as easy to spot. With so many freckles, how can one know if something has changed, especially when doctors don’t always take what you see so seriously?

I try to cover up all the time now. I’ve only gotten one sunburn in the last 5 years or more. But I worry that it was one sunburn too many.

Please protect your children (for anyone reading this) since studies show that those of us badly burned before age 6 have a MUCH greater chance of developing skin cancer later.

Thank you for posting this. It makes me want to go get checked out again.