A Medical Follow Up

This is just a quick follow up on my latest biopsy. I had a rather fast-growing scabby growth on my neck so the doc cut out the growth and sent it off to the pathologist. 

The doc called today to tell me this growth was non-cancerous...  so that is a big relief. 

Our primary concern was whether or not this particular growth is cancerous or not. To be honest, I can't think of any other diagnosis which would be of concern and this is the only reason I headed to the doctor in the first place. Ruling out cancer is a relief.

She asked how the growth is doing because some inflammation was found by the pathologist. She wasn't really sure what was inflamed but offered the idea of perhaps a hair follicle had become inflamed.  I've had time to think about this...

First off... I've looked at hundreds of photos of inflamed hair follicles... this growth looked nothing like those photos. My growth was more spread out... and looked less like an inflamed pimple which is what an inflamed hair follicle resembles.

Next... I didn't have any pain... no pain whatsoever... no burning... even when I would press on it or scratch it there was no inflamed-type pain. There was no itching... the growth was just there. It started out reddish and felt sort of dry and scabby...  it had a strange texture like being slightly rubbery.

When mast cells degranulate (which happens often due to my illness, Systemic Mastocytosis), one of the many results is inflammation around the site of the degranulation. Considering this and the previous two paragraphs... 

In my mind (and my feelings), I am left feeling as though this growth is just a clumping of mast cells which is related to my primary illness, Systemic Mastocytosis. My personal opinion, based upon a decade or more of experience with this illness, says the probable cause is a solitary mastocytoma. Considering my primary illness, this really means there is absolutely nothing to worry about here nor is this anything unusual... for me. 

On a sidenote... I am worn out and exhausted today... and my whole body hurts like I was run over by a train and then hit by a truck... Needless to say, nothing got accomplished around the house today!

I do, however, need to find some energy to tackle some laundry tomorrow... 

And, in the coming months, I am scheduled to see a specialist for a few areas of skin cancer on my face...  this, however, is an annual thing for me so it is standard operating procedure...

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