Skin cancer

**mauimagic** · 02-19-2011, 02:12 AM

Felt I needed to share this on its own thread - perhaps can influence others so not to go down this path.

I will admit to being a sun worshipper my whole life, no matter where I've lived. Could have/should have used sun screen more regularly, but never noticed any warning signs until the past couple of years.

This past year, I had four basal cell areas taken care of. Today I went to a regular appointment with my dermatologist. He found six areas that are suspect and he biopsied them. That's when he went over - it's not if I will be getting more skin cancer, it's a matter of when.

Not fun guys. At least I have a competent dermatologist now, not like the one I had previously. He will call and let me know the results of the biopsies and in any event, I go back in two months.

Use sunscreen whenver you go out - all over!! I hope this makes a difference to someone.

**frugalfranny** · 02-19-2011, 02:47 AM

Very good point MM!!

I have had two removed......both basal.

The other thing............wear SUNGLASSES..........EVEN WHEN GARDENING---(and I HATE wearing them then).........if you don't want cataracts!!!

I got some RX sunglasses late last year............guess I will wear them.......

**Imarachne** · 02-19-2011, 08:52 AM

I hope all goes well with you--never listened to what they said either but I'm ok so far--loved the sun tho' !!

**lisaflex** · 02-19-2011, 09:10 AM

i too am a sunworshipper...was raised that way! luckily i do have thick italian/hungarian skin. i have a full body check scheduled in a few wks...it will be my first! we all use LOTS of sunblock here! even my daily moisturizer for face and body has SPF 15 in it...we have been blessed and have travelled quite a bit to lots of beaches and do love the sun!

maumi - hope all goes well

**akolb** · 02-19-2011, 10:20 AM

I've always been an SPF50 kinda gal and someone who TRULY appreciated when faux-tanning technology really got good.

But until one of my closest friends was diagnosed with stage 3 Melenoma at the age of 26 I didn't really get it.

She has to have a LARGE chunk of her calf removed (no more skirts or shorts), 3 of her lymph nodes removed and do a year of Chemo.

All because she wanted to be tan because it was the cool thing to do. SERIOUSLY!? What the hell is wrong with our society? People with dark skin try to look lighter and people with light skin try to look darker.

Do like my mom did. She taught us that our fair skin made us look like Snow White and that only royalty used to be this fair...then encouraged us to spray tan in high school

I'm one of those who believes there should be a "sin tax" on tanning beds the same as there are on cigarettes and alcohol. If you want to do something that you know is bad for you and will cause taxpayers to pay for your medical expenses if you don't have healthcare...you should have to pay up front. And NOBODY under 18 should be allowed to tan in a tanning bed. Think about it, it does the same thing to your body in 10 minutes that the sun naturally does in an hour...that just logically can't be good for you.

*stepping off soapbox now*

**kitkat0649** · 02-19-2011, 10:49 AM

I used to be so self conscious of my pale skin as a teenager I frequented tanning beds for several years. Now I really regret doing so, I still have a love hate relationship with my skin color, but my father passed away from skin cancer when I was 6, and now that I'm a mother I can't imagine the same happening and leaving my children with no mother.

**madhen** · 02-19-2011, 12:12 PM

I have a good friend in his 50's who has had skin cancer most of his life. He is fair-skinned and a swimmer, so you can imagine the damage he has done to himself. Happily, his skin cancer can be managed with regular visits and treatment (either freezing or cutting), and is not life-threatening, but it is something he has to deal with.

I was/am an outdoors kind of person - never was big on just laying there soaking up sun, but am in it a lot. When I was younger, I was always VERY tan. I'm better about using sunscreen now, for other reasons, but I think I also have some genetic defense from my mother's side of the family tree, in that I am more olive-skinned naturally than my sister, who inherited my father's Idaho midwesterner white genes.

**IntlMom** · 02-19-2011, 12:30 PM

Thanks for this post MM - I'm not much of a sun kind of gal, but we should all be vigilant. Whether we are sun lovers, or like me.. not so much.

**annymoll** · 02-19-2011, 01:43 PM

I never tan, am very pale.If we go to the beach( which is seldom) I use Fake Bake, which is a vegetable based self tanner. I use sunblock with Mexoryl each and every day of my life. Most wrinkles are caused by sun damage, and people who tan look so much older. Plus....... you can die from it.We know better than to do stupid things which cost us, our families, and others.Limit sun exposure, and use sunscreen. Be smart.

**jas** · 02-19-2011, 04:39 PM

Thanks for the reminder! I had two skin cancers removed last year. One from my face and one from my shoulder. I have fair skin and have had a few bad burns in my teens, over 30 years ago. You see the damage years later. My dad died of melenoma.

The one on my face was about half the size of a pencil eraser, but the scar is about an inch and a half because the have to go so far around and so deep to get clear margins. The scar is from the edge of my nose to my lip. I had no idea it would be like that, I thought they would just burn it off. Nope.

Even if someone has basal cell it can get bad too. Before my dad got the melenoma he had some basal cell removed from right above his ankle, the hole was like an empty eye socket and would not heal. He could have lost his lower leg, sorry to say the melenoma got him first.

Sorry to ramble.

**mauimagic** · 02-19-2011, 04:55 PM

Mahalo for sharing experiences of yourself and others. This isimpotant and needs to be addressed over and over again.

**mamachop** · 02-19-2011, 08:59 PM

I hope all goes well with you MM! God bless you & I'll keep you in my prayers!

**mauimagic** · 02-19-2011, 10:54 PM

Mahalo Mamachop!! While I cannot undo the past, I can influence the future!! And I finally have a fantastic dermatologist!!

**Palooka** · 02-19-2011, 11:25 PM

Ugh, in my younger days I spent way too much time in tanning beds and the sun.

MM, I hope everything is okay for you.

**Debbie-cat** · 02-19-2011, 11:31 PM

Great points everyone. I have always tanned very easily but was not vigilant on applying sunscreen. I am alot better about that now though. I have my fathers French Canadian skin so I rarely burn. My DS on the other hand is fair skinned and burns easily. I always worry about him especially since he has burned bad twice now on trips to the Caribbean. I always remind him to make sure he is drenched in sunscreen now when he is outdoors.

I am so glad you have a good doctor now MM. I am wishing you the best and prayers are being sent. Hugs!