I am writing this on the fifteenth anniversary of 9-11. The newspaper today informs me that, in the period immediately following the attacks, a national poll indicated that an overwhelming majority of the country (79%) felt that the crisis would make us stronger and more unified.

Yeah, right.

Of course, that’s not really my topic today. A lot of my attention right now is on health and my own personal strength in the midst of difficult times.

So, the news is: I got the results of my biopsies back two days ago. I had waited a full seven days to find out that the growth on my leg, tentatively identified as melanoma, is, in fact, benign.

Holy shit, what a relief.

The thing is, the biopsy for the bump on my nose was positive for basal cell carcinoma and I am being referred to a surgeon for the “Mohs procedure.” I am told that this kind of surgery is the absolute best way to go, especially for a cancer that is in such a sensitive and obvious place. It is an iterative surgical process that lasts as long as it needs to to ensure full removal of the cancer. I started looking online for descriptions, and am a tad freaked out by what’s in store for me.

Still, I’m still here.