Just wanted to recount an incident that happened to me about a month ago. For the last 4 years I noticed 5 rather large and noticeable spots forming on my forehead. The largest was just a little larger than a normal pencil eraser. Being mostly Pogue instead of Heinz 57 like a lot of Americans, I have very light skin. I figured they were large freckles, or since I have passed the half century mark now, perhaps age spots.
But then two of my hiking buddies keep insisting that they were melanomas, even going into graphic details about how they would have to cut not only the melanomas out, but three inches around the melanomas and then replace the skin with skin from my butt. I would look like a freak for the next two years if I survived the ensuing lymph node cancer and I might actually be able to hike again some day if I was lucky.
Well my friends managed to scare the angels out of my nether regions, so I went to my doctor expecting the worse and getting in touch with my Catholic roots along the way and hoping I would make it to heaven so I could at least have a hooley with my Irish relatives once I got up there.
But no, it turned out they were not melanomas, but actually were big freckles or age spots which is what I thought in the first place. I normally don't put sun block on my forehead because it mixes with sweat, runs into my eyes and stings them. I hike mostly in the Sierra of Northern California where there is a lot of granite which reflects sun up under the brim of my hat thus causing the big freckle or age spots where I don't put the sun block. At least that was Dr. Saeed's theory. I told the Doc that I didn't like the spots in any case because people tell me I look like David Letterman and I would rather look like Colin Ferrell. He told me he wasn't a plastic surgeon, but that he could take care of the spots.
He left the room and came back 5 minutes later with a plastic cup with one of those long handled medical Q-tips with cotton only on one end. There was smoke coming out of the cup. Liquid nitrogen he said. He would apply it to the spots, and they should drop off in two weeks. I asked him if it would hurt. Not as much as cutting them off with a scalpel, which is what he would have to do if this didn't work. I said proceed Doctor, use as much of that stuff as you want. When the medical Q-tip saturated with liquid nitrogen hit my spots it sounded like bacon in a frying pan, but I didn't flinch because I was convinced I would look like Colin Ferrell in two weeks. Two weeks have passed and the spots did indeed drop off, but I still look like David Letterman. Dr. Saeed was right, I would need a plastic surgeon to look like Colin and that's not covered under my medical plan, but I do have one advantage over Letterman, my hair is only half grey and it's still all there.
Guys, the moral of the story is that as hikers and backpackers, we are out in the sun a lot, so wear wide brimmed hats and use sun screen, especially if you have Celtic skin that glows in the dark. A ball cap just won't do. As for my forehead, it's doing fine, but I still am not inclined to use sun block up there. I may have go pirate and start wearing a "Do Rag" or a Buff– avast ye maties!
