Is that a hickey on your neck?

That's a question I've heard over and over throughout my life.  It happened in the second grade when I was at a listening station and my well-intentioned teacher leaned over and pointed to the red mark under my chin and inquired.  At 16, I was working the day shift at Subway for extra hours when the store manager instructed me in the middle of the rush to go put a bandaid over it.  It's not a hickey.  It's a birth mark, and many times, I've actually called my mother (in the case with my Subway boss) to prove otherwise. 

Many people tell me they don't notice it.  I've tried to use concealers - especially when I'm doing something important like attending parent/teacher conferences or at a job interview.  I wear my hair down and tilt my head to make it less obvious.  I wonder though if I've ever been discounted because someone mistakenly assumed I had been necking... and yes... even at 30, I still get asked!

I asked the dermatologist about it once and he said he could laser it off - that it would take 3 sessions and would not be covered by my insurance.  That was probably 6 years ago.  He quoted me $600 then.  It's always seemed worth it to me, I just never felt like spending the money... until now!

I'm sitting at 136 lbs (after yo-yoing some up from the previous excited post of 137). After I get a smidge (that's an official number) below 135, I get to reward myself by making that first appointment with Dr. Gadzia (affectionately known as Dr. Godzilla by my eldest).  It's a little reward, but knowing it's on the horizon has brought new motivation.  I'm back at work full time now, and that makes it a bit easier to stay focused - less opportunity to meander to the fridge or pantry throughout the day!  And, I have frozen Lean Cuisine (yuck) meals here to prevent me from running to Mickey Ds.  So... that's one of the plans - elective procedures to motivate me.  It's makes me laugh.  I'm going to ask him about my stretch marks too - I asked before as well.  I have a lot of them, and while he can't rid me of them completely, he can help diminish their appearance.  Back in the day, he quoted me $1,200... but if I get to 125, that's the next call I'm making!  My body has been through a lot, and I deserve a little something to help me in getting back to where I want to be.