Benign

So I was supposed to go back to the doctor who cut me open this past Thursday to get the stitches out and hear what they'd found in the biopsy. I got a call Thursday morning that they hadn't got the results, and would I be ok with coming in on Monday?

Well, no, actually. I didn't mind hearing the results, I just wanted the stitches out. They were starting to really itch as the wound healed, and the ends of the sutures were catching on my collar and irritating me even more. But I meekly said, sure, whatever, and got ready to tolerate a weekend of pain.

Late on Thursday afternoon the doctor's office called back to say the results had come in, and it was benign.

Whew.

Then I was asked if I wanted to come in Friday to get the stitches removed. Oh yes, please! Friday morning they called again. The doctor was in an emergency surgery, they weren't sure when he'd be out. Was I ok with waiting until Monday? This time I said I would really rather get the stitches out sooner. They said they would call.

Just after 11 a.m. I got the call, rushed to the office... and the doctor took off for the ER on another emergency call. Given the choice, I decided to wait. I read a book on my Kindle while I waited and really have no idea how long I was in there.

When the doctor finally came in he explained the pathology report to me, which really wasn't much. I know what "benign" means, and the only new information he gave me is that it was most likely a scratch or insect bite on the right side of my scalp that led to the problem. Then he left and a nurse took the stitches out. I almost, ALMOST, asked why she hadn't taken the stitches out and let me go without worrying about the pathology report. I suppose the cursory exam the surgeon gave the stitches and wound was probably important as well. But they could have saved me quite a bit of waiting time.

The first stitch was easy, snip-pull and it was gone. The second stitch was embedded in the wound a little more, so it was slightly painful to remove. The third was as easy as the first and WAHOO I was free of the annoying things. The nurse put some steri-strips on, which will fall off in due course or I can remove them on Monday if I wish. The wound is already beginning to grow smaller as the remaining swelling goes down. Soon this will all just be a tale and a memory.

Thank goodness.