Yesterday I had a very high probability melanoma removed from my stomach about 2 cm above my navel and another highly suspect one removed in my right armpit. No one ever told us when I was playing tennis for UNC that it is a very bad idea to play/practice 5 hours a day in the NC sun with no shirt, but that is what we did. 7 years ago I had 3 "atypical" moles removed from the back of my neck and right shoulder. The dermatologist yesterday wanted to just shave both and send them in for biopsy. I told her fine with the one in my armpit but I wanted the one on my stomach gone. The end result is a 1.5" incision on my stomach. She should hear back from the pathologist in 7 days or so. I will already be in Nantucket for a 13 week Microbiology contract. My brother had a stage 3 melanoma removed from his inner thigh a few years ago. Unless he was a closet nudist this area should have never seen the sun so I have a familial history. If this is a stage 3 or 4 I am in some serious trouble if the one above my navel is the primary and the one in my armpit is a metastasized locus
