not according to plan

Nothing about this week has gone according to plan.

The latest diversion is whatever is happening on the skin of my left shin. For almost 2 months, I've had what I can only call a rash. I finally scheduled to meet a doctor at the local clinic today, so somebody else could ponder what it is.

The first nurse noted, "It almost looks like a burn." Yes, it kind of looks like that. The main part is about 2cm long and 1cm wide. The second nurse asked questions focused on things like Lyme disease and skin cancer. After the doctors had their look, we decided to try a topical 1% hydrocortisone ointment. If nothing gets better after a few weeks (and sooner if anything gets worse), then they'll do a punch biopsy. They took a photograph and included a tape measure, so they can tell objectively if it changes in size. Basically, they couldn't tell what it is either, so biopsy is the only way to rule out cancer. It doesn't look to me like skin cancer, based on images I've seen over the years of early skin cancer. But I don't have any good theories on what else this weeks-long rash might be.

I came home after the appointment, fixed myself lunch (also my late breakfast), then slept for a few hours since I took the day off of work. I still need to get some trees and shrubs into the ground that arrived on Saturday, otherwise they may not survive long. I'm still tired, though, from Saturday's adventure and may not overcome the mental inertia today. Maybe tomorrow I'll finally get the plants into the ground and take the bus ride out to the pharmacy to pick up that ointment.