My New "Relationship" with the Sun

Long gone are the days that I would sit on the beaches of the Atlantic Ocean for HOURS at a time with just baby oil on my skin for protection. When I look down and see my 3 1/2 inch scar on the back of my left calf, I know it was a very small price to pay for getting diagnosed with Malignant Melanoma Stage 1B Skin Cancer in January of last year. Melanoma is a deadly cancer. I know that I was really, really lucky that it hadn't spread to the rest of my body. Once you have Melanoma, your chances of getting it again increase. The sun and I have a much different "relationship" now. I mow the lawn with sunblock, sunglasses and a hat. The umbrella we have been using for years is not meant for a table on a deck - it's barely bigger than a regular umbrella. I did some research and got a nine-foot umbrella with UV protection - I didn't even know such a thing existed! Even though it is the summertime, the first time I went to my dermatologist after my surgery, I got an "earful" about wearing nail polish on my toes - one of the signs of Melanoma shows up as black streaks on your fingernails/toenails - you can also get it between your toes! A few years ago, I was diagnosed with Glaucoma. I go for exams 3 or 4 times a year. When I went to my first appointment after my cancer surgery and told my eye doctor I had Melanoma, he tilted the chair way back and checked to make sure he didn't see any cancer in my eyes. I also have cataracts and get my optic nerve tested from time-to-time. It's quite a production, but worth every minute I am there. It was my primary care physician who discovered my abnormal mole on my calf at my physical and immediately took a biopsy. It just happened to be a mole I had already been watching. I shudder to think if it been one I hadn't been watching. I typically don't dispense medical advice, but the next time you have a physical, ask your doctor to do a quick full body exam. I personally think it should always be a part of a physical, no matter the age! Though rare, children can get Melanoma. I still enjoy the sun, but I am lot more careful. Please, please, please don't make the mistakes that I made, not wearing sunblock and thinking I was invincible. It could catch up to you one day, just like it did with me.

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