While self-diagnosis is dangerous, I suspect I have several areas of actinic keratosis on my upper lip. It's an early precancerous condition that if left untreated can develop into squamous cell carcinoma. I have several major predispositions for this: I'm blue eyed/fair skinned; I have a history of some pretty severe sunburns, especially as a child; I am currently undergoing PUVA treatments; I'm on immunosuppressants. They usually just give you a cream that burns off the top area of the dermis where the precancerous cells have set up shop, but I'm not thrilled with the timing. While I have nothing lined up yet, I have high hopes of getting some interviews from all the resumes I've sent out, and I really don't want to go into them with some flaming sore on my upper lip.
Yesterday I checked cats at the shelter for the first time in nearly two weeks. It was both sad and happy that several of the cats I'd grown quite fond of had been adopted out during that time. I always feel better when I get to say goodbye to them (not that the cats care).
Fluff Butt, the Persian cat I'm fostering in my basement, has had the death sentence formally lifted from his little furry head. Based on his good behavior at my place, we decided at last night's board meeting for the shelter to give him another chance. He'll be featured in our next newsletter as a hardship case who needs a special home (no kids, no other cats, no stress). I've actually gotten the over-sized tribble to sit in my lap for a few minutes at a time now, and I suspect under the right conditions he might actually be a lap cat. I do know he's a freaking trip hazard; the cat has no sense of survival and likes to walk about three inches away from whatever foot is currently in motion.
My own pride of mini-lions have again become sun-worshippers now that the days are becoming warmer and the light is lasting longer. Our condo is on the north-end of the unit, and gets strong early morning sun, very little mid-afternoon sun, and filtered late afternoon sun. The cats follow the sun beams around the condo, starting the day with a lounge in the dining room, moving on to the kitchen to catch the last morning rays, and ending up in the living room window to get what afternoon light they can. The lighting yesterday afternoon was perfect and I got some amazing pictures of Little Brown Cat in the living room sun.
