Our trip to Baltimore yesterday was not routine because we threw in an appointment with Dr. Tim Wang, director of the Cutaneous Surgery & Oncology Unit at Johns Hopkins. What I learned was different from what I expected.

When the FDA approved a new treatment for some hemophilia patients, including those (like me) with Factor XI deficiency, a few people asked what that would mean for me. I emailed Carolyn Francis, the hemophilia coordinator at Georgetown University Hospital, to find out, and her response was – “it’s complicated.” Here’s the story, as sI understand it.

Robert said in his initial email to family and friends about his melanoma that it was a risk factor for his blood relatives. I’ve done a little studying on the subject, and my assessment of that statement (whatever THAT’s worth!) is a little different now. But the bottom line remains the same: please have a complete scan of your body, if you haven’t already, and discuss your risk factors with a dermatologist.