I wasn't going to write about this, because the truth is, it is embarrasing to me. But I keep hearing things people say or reading things people write about their health and skin and it really bugs me! I thought I would share because even if one person takes action from reading this then it is worth the trouble! This December I was diagnosed with SKIN CANCER at 28 years old. I was always one of those young girls who loved to tan and told myself it would never happen to me. Well it did, and I have no one to blame but myself. I worked at a tanning salon through high school and regularly burned myself to a crisp. My senior year I did a huge oral presentation on skin cancer, so I even knew all the facts and still ignored them! When I was pregnant with Cole I was still frequenting the tanning beds and developed a weird mole on the back of my neck. It grew, was tender, and scabbed over alot. Cole just turned 3 this winter, and I made the decision to finally get it checked. It came back as a basal cell carcinoma, which is lucky. It is the most treatable skin cancer. It also doesn't spread to organs. It can however spread into more tissue and bone. The doctor treated it by cutting and burning it out of my skin. It is cured, but chances that it will come back somewhere else are good. My biggest fear is getting one on my face, because the scars are large and tough.
So let me jump up on my soapbox and say this: WEAR SUNSCREEN, you can still be out in the sun, just protect your skin. Also, never ever let your skin burn. Burning your skin is what causes the damage that causes skin cancer. Damage done before age 20 is the worst, so never let your children burn in the sun either. If it can happen to me, it can happen to you too! And I love you all too much to want it to happen to you too! :)
(Ahhh... that feels better. Thanks for listening to my rant!)
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
I have WHAT??
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3 comments:
That's scary Kim. I'm glad it wasn't worse. I haven't tanned in a tanning bed for probably three years, but I'm always tempted to go back. I've gotten some pretty bad sunburns from being outside, and that's probably worse than a tanning bed! I've started wearing sunscreen a lot more, though. If I know I'm going to be outside for a while I slather myself in it, and I put lotion on my face every morning that has sunscreen in it. Still, I better get my moles checked because I have some funky ones.
Thanks for the heads up!
Yikes!!! That is scary. I have a close friend in Cali who also had skin cancer...thankfully treatable. It's frightening. I'm glad things are OK! We miss you.
Kim, I wish you could go to every high school in America and tell these girls to STOP tanning! And I am really glad your cancer was treatable. I'm saying a prayer for you right now.
PS -- your boys are adorable!
And where are you living?
Alan's a pharmacist, right? Stanton's sister is, too, and loves it. What an awesome career choice! And in serious demand now.
Anyway, love you. I'm going to put your blog link on my page, if that's okay.
LOVE YOU!
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