At what age were you diagnosed with skin cancer? What have you learned since then? 30.... I’ve had 3 more melanomas in 12 years. To be proactive and make sure your family is too. STAY OUT OF THE TANNING BEDS!!! Age 36, now 60. I was lucky. I was stage III was treated with interferon and have had no reoccurrences. I have learned to educate others without preaching and how to still be active with the appropriate protection. I was 56 and diagnosed with Stage 3A metastatic melanoma...I had a recurrence 4 yrs later at age 60 and restaged to Stage 3C...48 months NED...I fried myself as a teenager with baby oil on my body and Sun-In on my hair! NO tan is worth it! Pale is beautiful! 27 Stage 3b Melanoma and I learned how crucial skin checks are! 21 I worked at a tanning salon for 5 years. I can only move forward. I wear spf 50 when outdoors And educate others. I'm now 31 and get my yearly skin checks and have been blessed with no new spots. Melanoma at 32. Learned it really can take just one bad burn incident for it to occur. If you're fair and freckled with blue eyes, just stay in the shade. A tan is not for you! Suck it up. It's much nicer sitting under a parasol than in the blazing sun anyway I was 30. I make sure I'm more careful with sunscreen and swim shirts and I make sure my kids and husband and family are always wearing sunscreen. I also never miss a checkup! 21, 31 & 37. I have learned so much. The sun is not our friend. Wear sunscreen and reapply, reapply, reapply! Make sure your children wear it and reapply too! Listen to your intuition. If it looks like melanoma, if it feels like melanoma, if it just doesn’t look right, GO TO YOUR DOCTOR! 31 (now 41), scars can be beautiful, sunbrellas are essential, even walking through parking lots are dangerous, every tiny spot is suspicious, I'll never have normal sensations on my face again due to the extensive nerve damage after numerous surgeries, shade is your friend, a kind dermatologist is your best friend. Just before I turned 40 I found out I had malignant melanoma on my side. Thankfully caught it early. |