[Les Paul]

It's easy to make jokes but the reality is one of those biopsys saved my ass. I retired in 09 with a Cadillac insurance plan. I think it was 10 deductible 90% on anything. I was the poster boy for skin trouble to say the least. Lifeguard, ran without a shirt for 35 years, went to the beach, etc. It all started that year when I went in for some places on my back. Standard slice, dice, cut, burn, freeze and no more sun. Standard 6 month appointments sailing along. Then I had a small mole on the back of my neck that started actually hurting 24/7. I went in and told my doc this one hurts. She said looks like a bla, bla, bla. We'll biopsy anyway. Ten days later I get the call. Are you sitting down? Yep. You have melanoma. Not one of those things you want to hear. Did the surgery along with removing several lymph nodes in my neck. They then tell me stage 4. I had no idea what that meant but the oncologist told me to get my life business in order you have an 80% chance of getting one of the major cancers. Brain, liver, bone, lung. WTF? Long story short I got 356 ready for some road trips. Went to Rennsport IV in California a 5,000 trip. All the while this dark cloud hangs over everything. The way it works is 80% chance of one of those cancers the first year and like a bell curve the longer you make it the better the odds. And here I am knocking on wood every day. Hell I get nervous about mosquitoes bites now�� My point don't ignore those spots.