Skin Cancer

[Mom4Mika]

Don't look at this post a downer. I was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma last week one spot on my head the other on my shoulder.

Now I am 39 years old and haven't tried to get a tan since I was 20.

I did get badly burned at 19 and 16. The two spots didn't look like anything special, but I noticed they both changed in different ways.

This is a pretty "easy" cancer to have and because I was able to notice the changes and get them taken care of I will have a huge (99%) of total recovery never to worry about those spots again.

But if you ignore or not notice your body and engage in tanning you could be asking for a world of hurt.

There is a psychotherapist at my office and he ignored a large skin discoloration and it is now stage 4 melanoma and he has less then 20% chance of living 5 years.

 

So use a sun block with not only a high SPF BUT also UVA & UVB protection.

 

Love,

Jamie

[babspanky]

First of all, I hope your treatment goes well, the prognosis sounds extremely good.

 

Secondly thanks for raising the subject, I think this is a really common form of cancer isn't it? We all need to be reminded of this kind of thing from time to time, especially now when the weather is so hot.

 

I've been badly burned a couple of times too, and I don't do sun much now, but from your example you still need to be on the alert.

Good advice.

Edited July 1, 2009 by babspanky

[Dark Angel]

Sorry to hear that!!!! Hope the best

 

Glad i cant do a tan... but at the same time not so glad cos of the reason. Im dealing with photosensative epilepsy that has been out of control for 6 years time where the only way to get it a lil more under control (will have it the rest of my life) is to get hospitalised... ive just said no 7 times now But "forced" to now if i wanna survive

[sariflor]

Don't look at this post a downer. I was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma last week one spot on my head the other on my shoulder.

Now I am 39 years old and haven't tried to get a tan since I was 20.

I did get badly burned at 19 and 16. The two spots didn't look like anything special, but I noticed they both changed in different ways.

This is a pretty "easy" cancer to have and because I was able to notice the changes and get them taken care of I will have a huge (99%) of total recovery never to worry about those spots again.

But if you ignore or not notice your body and engage in tanning you could be asking for a world of hurt.

There is a psychotherapist at my office and he ignored a large skin discoloration and it is now stage 4 melanoma and he has less then 20% chance of living 5 years.

 

So use a sun block with not only a high SPF BUT also UVA & UVB protection.

 

Love,

Jamie

 

Hi Jamie,

thanks for the warning. Skin cancer is indeed something to be taken seriously, and often people ignore it until it's too late . I'm really glad to hear that you caught yours at such an early stage, and that things will work out well for you, but your colleague's case is very sad, and a harsh reminder of what can happen if one doesn't pay attention to these things.

My hubby just had a scare as well with something that they thought would be malignant, not on his skin as such but on the flesh/gum inside the mouth, so I can imagine the shock that you went through.

Lots of luck!

[Cassiopée]

Hi Jamie! I hope everything works well for you But it's extremely important to talk about these things since it's when we're younger that we have to be the most carefull about the sun!

Good luck with the treatments and keep us posted!

[Mary]

Don't look at this post a downer. I was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma last week one spot on my head the other on my shoulder.

Now I am 39 years old and haven't tried to get a tan since I was 20.

I did get badly burned at 19 and 16. The two spots didn't look like anything special, but I noticed they both changed in different ways.

This is a pretty "easy" cancer to have and because I was able to notice the changes and get them taken care of I will have a huge (99%) of total recovery never to worry about those spots again.

But if you ignore or not notice your body and engage in tanning you could be asking for a world of hurt.

There is a psychotherapist at my office and he ignored a large skin discoloration and it is now stage 4 melanoma and he has less then 20% chance of living 5 years.

 

So use a sun block with not only a high SPF BUT also UVA & UVB protection.

 

Love,

Jamie

 

 

First, I wish you all the luck in the world for your treatment! I'm sure it will all go well!

 

Thanks for opening this thread, really!

I'm really afraid of skin cancer (well, of ALL types of cancer, obviously) because my skin is very very white, and I have lots of spots.

I don't go to the beach, but during the summer (and other sunny days) I use a SPF 50... And I still get burned every now and then (not badly, but yet...)

 

Most people make fun of me like "You'll never get a tan using that lotion, bla bla bla", and I get MAD when they tell me they DON'T NEED a sun block...I mean...WTF? Everyone needs it!

 

So...people, pleeeeeeease take care of your skin, cause it's the only one you have!

 

Again, lots of luck, and thanks for the thread!

[Dark Angel]

First, I wish you all the luck in the world for your treatment! I'm sure it will all go well!

 

Thanks for opening this thread, really!

I'm really afraid of skin cancer (well, of ALL types of cancer, obviously) because my skin is very very white, and I have lots of spots.

I don't go to the beach, but during the summer (and other sunny days) I use a SPF 50... And I still get burned every now and then (not badly, but yet...)

 

Most people make fun of me like "You'll never get a tan using that lotion, bla bla bla", and I get MAD when they tell me they DON'T NEED a sun block...I mean...WTF? Everyone needs it!

 

So...people, pleeeeeeease take care of your skin, cause it's the only one you have!

 

Again, lots of luck, and thanks for the thread!

 

[Ruth]

Good idea for a thread. I hope your treatment goes well. I have 4 little flaky rough patches that don't clear up - my back, my shoulder, my nose and in my eyebrow. I think I might take them to the doctor.

Edited July 3, 2009 by Ruth

[Nielo]

Sorry to hear that, but the prognosis does sound really good. I hope your treatment will go well.

 

Thanks for making this thread, I think it's really important that people realize we all need to use sun block, even if we don't get sunburned often. (I do, so I always use it and I don't try to get tanned anyway, but I realize that even if you use it, skin cancer is still something to look out for.)

[AnnaMariaPetra]

Thanks for attending people to this subject.

I always put suncreme (high factor: 30 or 40) on my kids (and myself) before they go to school. We have to ride on our bikes for about 10 minutes and they go to play on the schoolyard ofcourse (where there is practically no shadow!). I don't want them to get burned. Other mothers are very nochalant about it: "Oh, my kids don't get sunburn." or "it is too much trouble..."

I got sunburned a lot when I was a child, but in those days (this sentence makes me really old....) is wasn't very well knows what the effects could be. I find that now we do know, we have to protect our children and ourselves the best we can!

 

Wishing you the best and a quick recovery!

[AnnaMariaPetra]

Good ida for a thread. I hope your treatment goes well. I have 4 little flaky rough patches that don't clear up - my back, my shoulder, my nose and in my eyebrow. I think I might take them to the doctor.

 

Do!

[Dark Angel]

And one more thing... doing the sun tan thingy can effect your brain cos of the light and can give you epilepsy if you are very unlucky. So do it in the sun or by the lotion/spray way thingy

[bonzaboy]

I'm totally with you on this. I think people who engage in tanning regularly, especially in this day and age when it's not like the dangers of the sun are unknown or sun safety isn't promoted regularly are being quite irresponsible. I live in a place called Townsville, in Australia. We have the highest skin cancer rate in the world. So it's fairly drilled into us, be it on TV, or at school, etc. However, some people still feel the need to go out and literally cook themselves on the pretext that it's going to make them look nice, or make them attractive. I'm sorry, but I don't find people who are that foolish enough not to think of the consequences of their actions attractive at all. Like I said, it's not like the consequences aren't drilled into us on a regular basis...

 

(Sorry, I feel very strongly about this...lol)

[Mom4Mika]

Thanks for the encouragement :group_hug:and responses.

 

Dark Angel: WOW! Photosensitive epilepsy. I've never heard of that, but my mom has epilepsy and would sit at a window that has direct sunlight. Very odd, I saw her eyes once reflected in the glass and her eyes were fluttering to the point of having a rolling look, sometimes she'd have a seizure.

 

What is the treatment? Big HUGS for going for treatment.

 

I don't understand doing things that have been proven to shorten your life. Just not with skin cancer but anything, smoking, drinking too much, drugs, food.

I haven't looked at a person with a tan the same since finding out.

[Dark Angel]

Thanks for the encouragement :group_hug:and responses.

 

Dark Angel: WOW! Photosensitive epilepsy. I've never heard of that, but my mom has epilepsy and would sit at a window that has direct sunlight. Very odd, I saw her eyes once reflected in the glass and her eyes were fluttering to the point of having a rolling look, sometimes she'd have a seizure.

 

What is the treatment? Big HUGS for going for treatment.

 

I don't understand doing things that have been proven to shorten your life. Just not with skin cancer but anything, smoking, drinking too much, drugs, food.

I haven't looked at a person with a tan the same since finding out.

 

Im soz about your mum. Donno what kinda of epilepsy she has? Hope she has it under control. The treatment im under is medication... thats about it... they just cant find the right dose cos it all depends on how i feel. The more happy the less meds and the other way. Is your mum doing anything then cos of it??? Im doing NADA cos im not allowed. No education and no work...

With photosensative epilepsy the things that can give you seizures is flashlight, stress, depression, not enough sleep

 

But best of luck to ya. Hope the best

[Blue Sky]

Jamie I am so sorry to hear about your diagnosis. I hope with treatment you will be fine.

 

But such a shock isn't it, to think that our actions in our youth, when there wasn't that much info round on the risk of sunburn, can come back to get us like that.

 

In Australia the rate of skin cancer is as high as 1:4, so it has been a large part of kids education to use the slip slop slap rule.

(Slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen and slap on a hat...there was even a little song)

 

But we should also worry about sun exposure when we are just going down to the shops, or out to walk the dog etc...not just lying round the pool or at the beach.