MOLES...they can be scary

Yes, some moles can be rather cute - the ones that crawl in the ground and look like fat, stumpy blind mice. However, moles on your body are different and can be VERY scary if you do not watch them. It is VITAL that people, especially women, get their moles checked by a dermatologist - especially if you tan (in the sun or tanning bed), are outside a lot, do not wear sunscreen, or have a family history.

I have a a lot of moles - but 3 in particular on my tummy form a triangle shape and I have had them my whole life. I guess I have grown attached to them because I am so sad to get them taken off. However, I will be going on Thursday to get the moles removed because they all resemble moles that can be a pre-cursor to cancer. My mom, grandmother, and aunt have all had melanoma moles so I know it is important for me to get mine checked. If you do not know about your family history or what to look for I am posting pictures of BAD moles so that you can compare yours to them and see if you may need to get checked. This can save your life, so please just look and see what your moles are like and then get to the dermatologist (some gynecologists can check moles too).

Here is a chart to determine whether your mole could be Melanoma:

The ABCD of Melanoma
Asymmetry -- One half doesn't match the other half.
Color -- The pigmentation is not uniform. Shades of tan, brown, and black arepresent. Areas of red, white, and blue may add to the mottled appearance
Border irregularity -- The edges are ragged, notched, or blurred.
Diameter -- Most but not all melanomas are greater than six millimeters (about the size of a pencil eraser) when diagnosed.Regardless of size, any growth of a mole should be at least a reason to look at it carefully.

Here is a link to many pictures of cancerous moles:

http://www.dermatend.net/Cancerous_Moles/index.htmlCancerous_Moles/index.html

Here are a few that look semi-normal but probably are NOT:

Melanoma

Melanoma

MALIGNANT Melanoma

PhD or a Baby...Hmmm this is not a hard decision!

Well, I guess since Derek and I have been married a whole year now then the baby talk must come...but WHY!?!

I would love a baby --- if I did not have to birth, feed, pamper, clean after, or train it. Loving one is no problem, all the rest is. The thing is, I think people constantly asking you about it makes you want one more. In fact, my mother has given me an ultimatum - she needs a grandchild within 2 years. Of course, she is joking, but at the same time she has this crazy need to suddenly be an old woman (which is what a grandmother is you know)...I mean, why does she want to be old so fast? I don't! If I have a baby now, it stands to reason that I could be a grandmother at 44 or sooner...believe me, this is not my life plan. What is the hurry, if I am going to change from Crystal to "Mama" for the rest of my life, why not start later? I will be a mama until the day I die anyway, so why pro-long the sentence? I am terrified of getting pregnant unintentionally...this scares me every day and every month I go through a week of terror where I am absolutely positive I am pregnant, but really I am just PMSing...

Additionally, I am looking at PhD programs. Yay! =) I am excited about this option and would really like to pursue it - but with a needy child there will be no way. The schools I am looking at are:

1. The University of Texas at Austin*
2. The University of South Carolina
3. The University of North Carolina at Greensboro*
4. Florida State University*
5. The College of William and Mary*
6. The University of Tennessee
7. Auburn University

The four with stars are my favorite so far. I have one more year of my Masters program and the PhD Program I get in to (keep your fingers crossed) will take another 3-4 years. This means, I will be completely done with school when I am 27-28 years old. Then, maybe, I can have some kids - preferably by adoption but possibly, if I can stomach the idea, I will try and give birth....but don't get your hopes up too high right now.

Besides this here are a few short updates:

1. Derek and I have adopted Cookie, his parents mut dog. So now we have 2 dogs, 2 cats, and a bird.

2. I will not be working at Curves anymore after April and have taken yet another job with Big Brothers Big Sisters again and a third job with the Warren County Library asa genealogist...and I will also have a fourth job with the Warren County School System in the month of June...hopefully all of this will help our financial situation.

3. Derek's soccer team went to region, but they lost in the 1st round. That is okay thought because his boys played with integrity and the Benedictine boys were corrupted.

4. I am so excited that my shows are back on - Grey's, The Office, Big Shots, and Private Practice...and maybe Pushing Daisies???

5. I am getting a new boss in the President's Office at GCSU and am pretty scared about it.

6. I am trying to lose 10 pounds....I am not doing so hot right now. So, since I have a new affinity for alcohol I will probably start starving myself and replacing food calories with wine calories.