Hello and welcome... So sorry to hear about your shingles which I know from experience are very painful. The upside of that is had you not had those nasty shingles, your BC might not have been discovered until it was much further along. Your doctors did all the right things to make an early diagnosis which as George pointed out, works greatly in your favor. We are all somewhat embarrassed by our first "camera" experience, so you certainly are in the majority there.
You have had a lot of things to deal with in a very short period of time and I am impressed by how informed you have quickly become as reflected in your post, and you still are able to throw a dash of humor into the mix as well.
These first few months are also difficult to mentally adjust to having the word "cancer" becoming part of your medical dialogue. It is a scary word for sure but by becoming your own best advocate, along with working closely with your doctor, the quieter that word becomes in your head, and soon there will be lots of days you won't even think about it.
As far as optimism, there is no reason not to be thinking positively about your future. Yes, you will find people here who have had recurrences, gotten treatment, and then got on with living their lives again. And, you already know NOT to ever miss a follow-up appointment. Extra points for that!
We will be here to help you with that process and answer any questions we can as you go along. Again, welcome to the site and our forum!