From One Sun Lover to Another- Part 1

I love the sun... its warmth, golden light, and of course the bronzed glow it leaves on my skin.  I don't know about you, but being in the sunlight and having a tan just makes me feel fabulous.  Therefore, as a child I spent nearly every summer day at the pool, worked as an outdoor lifeguard for four summers in high school and college, frequented tanning beds in the winter, then moved to Florida for five years.  You can imagine how much time I spent in the sun there!


As they say, sun overexposure does significantly increase risk for skin cancer.  The skin biopsies began at age 14. At age 20 I got my first "bad" biopsy report.  I had a minor surgery to remove more skin and all was well.  I went right back to my sun loving ways.  I've had a few more biopsies here and there over the past years, but all were benign.


Fast forward to six weeks ago.  A close family member, also a sun lover, went to the dermatologist for the first time to have a few moles examined.  Turns out that one was melanoma, reputed to be the most deadly of types of skin cancer.  Making a long, painful story short, she had to have several surgeries to have more skin removed as well as four lymph nodes removed to make sure the cancer hadn't spread.  Thank God, it hadn't and she doesn't have to have any other treatment.


Her experience gave me a kick in the pants to get myself into the dermatologist for my yearly checkup (for which I was four months overdue).  Three biopsies, and three bad biopsy reports later, here I sit.  Luckily only two require additional surgery, which will leave me with sizable scars in comparison to the many small biopsy scars I already have.  I'll take the scars over the alternative.


My intention in sharing all of this is not to type on about myself for paragraphs, but to simply raise awareness about skin cancer and provoke people to start thinking more about prevention.  I have always considered myself a fairly health-conscious person, and I knew all about the risks associated with too much sun exposure.  But I didn't think skin cancer would ever happen to me (I apparently didn't get the hint 9 years ago!).  


Look for Part 2 of this post for some interesting prevention information that goes beyond "Avoid the sun and wear sunscreen."