Now I don't want to make a mountain out of a molehill, but this is a story about a mole. A couple of years ago a mole that had been on the outside of my right calf for at least twenty years was severely scratched while biking through a woods trail. When I got home, I found it difficult to stop the bleeding. I knew that moles have blood vessels that grow outward, so I thought that must have been the reason.

A week later, a scab had formed but was accidentally knocked off by the edge of my briefcase. A new bandage doused with an antibiotic cream and a lot of hope followed. Two weeks later, the scab got knocked off again in the same manner. This time, it seemed bigger, maybe the size of a dime. A month later, it was still bleeding with no signs of healing. So I went to my family doctor who pronounced it a normal mole, not cancerous, advising me to continue the band aid treatment and wait for it to heal.

Not being satisfied with its progress, I came up with the idea to invent my own medication. I powdered a portion of a shaving styptic pencil and mixed it with some Mycetracin, a triple antibiotic ointment produced by Upjohn Pharmaceuticals. Two days later, I woke up and as usual inspected my troublesome mole. The band aid had fallen off during the night and there was no sign of the mole on my calf. Not a mark or a blemish did I see! Under a bright light, I finally located a slightly pinkish spot where the mole had been. Did I invent a new medication or was it just my turn to be lucky? I'll never know.

Eat right, live right.