Friends with Skin Cancer

On a recent night out to the Sea Dog with friends, I overheard a conversation in the ladies room.  The words that jumped out at me were "my skin cancer" and the young female voice didn't sound the least bit concerned.  When I saw the young lady who was talking, my jaw dropped.  She was "tanning bed" tanned...without a worry in the world.  Young people do not see or realize the dangers of skin cancer and this young lady talked about having it as if she were talking about her ring finger- it's there, no big deal.  I've heard stories about local young mothers dying from melanoma. The common factor in the stories is the fact that they "faked and baked" all the time, the maximum time allowed; and in one case, the young mother was so addicted to tanning that she had multiple packages at multiple tanning salons so she wasn't held to the limits that salons need to limit tanning to!

In recent days I have been reminded of friends who also have battled skin cancer.  When I was in college a high school classmate, Matt, died of melanoma. I remember the shock well when I heard; and now being back in touch with Matt's twin brother Mike, I hear the pain of Mike's loss of his identical twin brother whenever we discuss Matt, or my current diagnosis.

This is "us" at our high school graduation. (Matt and Mike were so identical, there is no way of knowing which one was marching beside me in this picture)  Notice the similarity....both of us were extremely fair, and notice also that I was graduating as pale as pale could be.  I didn't "fake and bake" in high school, I didn't lay out in the sun with baby oil slathered on my body or on those reflective sheets to make the sun's rays STRONGER, and yet today, I am dealing with Basal Cell Carcinoma.

Another friend, Holly, has also battled melanoma.  When I asked Holly if I could share her story, here is what she told me:

"I went in for a mole check and had a couple suspicious ones removed. One was melanoma. I had a HUGE chunk surgically removed from my back a few days later! Looks like a shark bite, and that was for a small melanoma." Holly has promised a picture of the scar on her back but maybe it is better I see that AFTER I go through my surgery?

At the same time I was making appointments to look into the spot on my forehead, a friend of mine, Kathy (on the right), was also dealing with sun damage on her skin:

"At first I thought the spot on bridge of nose was dry skin. Then maybe a zit that wouldn't come to a head, and finally had to be an age spot...When a couple people noticed spot and made reference to it, I looked closer and didn't like the little red streaks through it. Immediately looked at pictures online and had myself convinced it was squamous cell carcinoma and they were gonna have to rip my face apart. Tried to make an apt w/dermatologist first only to be told needed referral no matter what kind of insurance. Then drs office informed me I had to see my primary care physician and no one else in the practice because I hadn't been to their office since 2004--that took a month (of non stop worry and obsessing) Finally get to drs for him to tell me he didn't have the right diagnostic tools and I would need to see the dermatologist--big surprise...It was there that they diagnosed me w/actinic keratosis and immediately I started treatment w/chemo cream 2x daily for 3 weeks. I'm about 2 1/2 weeks into it and am itchy w/red patches all over my nose. I can't use sunscreen or other creams while treating and feel like there's a big beacon in the center of my face. I'm taking comfort in knowing it's short term and I won't have scarring or cancer"

Here is a link to the Skin Cancer Foundation's information about Kathy's precancer, Actinic Keratosis








Closing thoughts:  PLEASE, think of those you know who have battled skin cancer, and don't forget to use sunscreen, today.