.....searchin for my lost bottle of sunblock. Not as catchy as the original lyrics, maybe,
but more relevant to my current lifestyle.
For one thing, I’m mostly drinking vodka and grapefruit juice. For another, the sun here, in the desert, in
mid-April, is such as to peal the skin off your unprotected body part, so I’m
indoors most of the day. Yeah, sure –
I’m a PNW weather wimp. It hit 96 on my
patio a few hours ago; in partial shade.
I may be home earlier than expected.
You all know that melanoma is deadly, that you are at
greater risk of getting it if you have a fair complexion, and that all that
sun-tanning you did as a youth was stupid.
All you can do now is use sun
block, wear long-sleeved shirts, and scrutinize your moles. In my case – I’ve had two friends die of
melanoma – I agonize over every black spot I detect, no matter how tiny. To my shame I went to my doctor recently with
a tiny, circular black spot. He sighed,
and removed a blackhead. I get professionally evaluated (dermatologist)
once/year. She freezes (or cuts) off the
other, less deadly kinds of skin cancers, and then reassures me that all is
well otherwise. I recommend this practice
to everybody. It gives you blessed peace
of mind - until the next time you see a dark-colored mole.
I recently saw a list
of symptoms that should send you running to your doctor. Here they are
A mole, sore, lump, or growth on the
skin can be a sign of melanoma or other skin cancer. A sore or growth that
bleeds, or changes in skin coloring may also be a sign of skin cancer.
The ABCDE system can help you
remember possible symptoms of melanoma:
- Asymmetry:
One half of the abnormal area is different from the other half.
- Borders:
The edges of the growth are irregular.
- Color:
Color changes from one area to another, with shades of tan, brown, or
black, and sometimes white, red, or blue. A mixture of colors may appear
within one sore.
- Diameter:
The spot is usually (but not always) larger than 6 mm in diameter -- about
the size of a pencil eraser.
- Evolution:
The mole keeps changing appearance.
Note that blackheads don’t qualify.
P.S. As I am supposed
to be a Research Advocate, I decided that I was honor bound to do some research
on the subject of sunshine, sunblock, and melanoma. Literature, research, naturally. I almost wish I hadn’t, because what I found
was confusing, contradictory, and discouraging.
Much of the following comes from scanning articles found using Google
Scholar*. Try clicking on the following
link and get involved yourself:
Always remembering
the severely limited understanding I bring to anything bio-medical, my take-away
from several hours of reading is more-or-less as follows:
a)
Very many groups are working on the genetics of
melanoma, which appears to be complicated.
b)
Ditto, drugs to retard the spread of metastatic
melanoma.
c)
Exposure to sunlight increases the likelihood of
contracting melanoma, at least in Caucasians.
d)
Slobbering sunscreen on your exposed body parts
does not prevent melanoma and – for God’s sake! - may even increase it.
e)
Some families have a genetic predisposition to
melanoma.
f)
So,
in general, cover up, watch your warts, and keep company with a good dermatologist.
*My knowledge
of Google Scholar is owing a tip from my faithful editor, Dick Ingwall
OK, I found the melanoma post.
ReplyDeleteI was always sunbathing as a teenager and even on the roof of the dorm at University of Missouri. But September, 1968 was the last time I was sunbathing. How do I know that exact date? Dawn was born that month & I never had time for 'self-indulgence' or wasting time after that! Just as well, too many young people are 'sunning' themselves and/or using tanning booths. Melanoma is a growing health risk for younger & younger people.
Thank you, Myrl, for another important post.
For more on melanoma and how to fight it, be sure to read the posting KILLER T-cells",written 4/29, I think.
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