Formula Outlaw

For those that don't know. This is how they came up with the idea that sunburns caused skin cancer. Go back to the early/mid 1950's when the surfing craze hit southern California. Fast forward to the early mid 1970's and these people all started coming down with skin cancer. That's how they put two and two together and came up with that sun caused skin cancer. I first heard about it and thought "rrriiiggghhhttt". And then of course I thought "that'll never happen to me". And then it did. I've had some tough ones. When they took the one off of my right cheek you could see my teeth from the outside. I had one taken off of my back that was three quarters the size of a new deck of playing cards. My forearms, which are pretty decent size, look like baseballs. I kind of actually have grown fond of all the scars. People now look at me like I might be some kind of psycho. I like that. Outlaw

Johno

Outlaw,
Yeah my wife has been diagnosed with Melanoma type, she has has all kinds things cut out of her. She had small spot/freckle on her leg.....had it biopsied & it was cancer. That little spot in her calf that had to be removed was so infected under the skin , she a chunk cut out of her calf the size of a lemon. The muscles were cut aswell & she was in a cast for 6 weeks. All that from what we belived was a little freckle. Treat skin cancer seriously! There may be a little bump or spot, but under the skin it could be the size of tennis ball & then it's too late. The cancer attaches to other organs in your body & can kill you pretty fast. Thank got she has it beat, but gets checked out every 6 months.
Don't trust dermatoligists as they like to burn things off, get them biopsied and know what you are cutting off!
Remember Outlaw "Chicks dig scars".....oh forgot your married
Later John

Formula Outlaw

Johno, I know what you're talking about. This last one on my neck I could barely even see, it took a total of 57 stitches (internal and external). Know all about that "cutting out whole masses of meat" syndrome. Been there done that. Thankfully your wife is under control. Please tell her for me that I know what she's going through. Sometimes it gets a little scary. Then I just remember the words of wisdom from "Clint" in his movie "The Outlaw Josie Wales". "When it looks like you got no way out, sometimes you just gotta get 'mad dog mean' ". I have found that works very well for me. I just think about warring against the cancer and psychologically I "get mad dog mean" and kick it's ass. Am I scared any more? No friggin way. It's got no chance against me. With the help of my surgeon, and my own attitude, I am flat out kicking it's ass. Outlaw

Mr. Demeanor

Kind of funny that this thread comes up. We al talk about life jackets, safety classes, etc. but simple things like sun block and sun glasses that could save your life or eyesight arent mentioned much. My wife has a spot on her eye, its looks like a little scar. I know the name but cant spell it. Anyway, it will eventually get bigger and interfere with her vision. Its cause by eye irritants like uv light and dust (she rides horses for a living). Now she has to wear $200 sunglasses every time we go outside. Think of what the sun does to gell coat.

Formula Outlaw

People have to start paying attention. The sun is now much stronger than it was 25 years ago because of the ozone layer being less. Unfortunately, that is reality. I feel bad for the younger people who are doing the same thing I did, only the price today is higher than ever.

arks

Count my wife as a melanoma survivor. She's been fighting it for about 7 years now. Gets checked 3 times a year and they find 1 or 2 new lesions each and every year. That adds up to the current count of 12 scars- almost all on her face, neck and legs. She's been a real trooper through it all and it's given everyone in our family a new respect for the sun.....

Formula Outlaw

Arks, please give your wife a big thumbs up for me. There's only one way to deal with this problem and that's head on. Currently I have 30 "skin cancer" scars, 29 surgeries and the skin graft for my ear scar. It certainly beats the alternative. Tell her from someone whose been there, keep a positive attitude and beat it.

rbtnt

My wife is a stage 4 melanoma survivor. It's been 2.5 years since the last surgery that removed the lemon size spot in her shin and all the lymph nodes in one leg. She is in a 5 year clinical trial that provides frequent check ups and a cat scan every year. This started a spot on her leg that she didn't have checked for a couple of months.

Do not wait to have spots checked. The surgeon said her 5 yr survival rate would have increased 30% if she would have had the spot checked and removed 2 months earlier. We now share the information we have learned from this experience with all our friends.

The doctors and surgeons said most of the damage was done before she was 18. She is a redhead and used to go fishing with her parents all the time when she was a kid. Please protect the kids with the best lotion you can find. Don't be fooled by the high numbered sunscreens that don't provide protection to both types of sun rays.

As others have said, this cancer is very deadly and should be taken very seriously.

My wife did have a skin graft from her upper thigh for her shin and it worked very well. It was about a 3" square spot.

Good luck to all the survivors out there.

WesSmith

Melanoma twice in the last 18 months.....and a few " battle scars" now to show for it !

I get to visit the Dermatologist every three months for two years...well worth it for early detection !

For those of us that have experienced skin cancer as well as those where it runs in the family - have your kids checked at least once each year. There are many children who are prone to melanoma - even at a very early age....a local 17 year old died recently from it as it went undetected for quite some time...a real unnecessary tragedy.

Formula Outlaw

I'd like to thank everyone for sharing their personal experiences with this deadly problem. I have also found that people seem to take comfort in speaking with others who have endured the same ordeal. I suspect there are a whole lot more members who have not yet posted to this thread, and if our privacy is at issue I certainly respect that. All I can say, as I've said, anything at all looks out of the ordinary, get it checked. As dear old DAD would have said, rather bluntly I might add, better to check it and not need it than need it and not check it. (I actually changed that just a bit for the purpose here). Best of luck to everyone, and get checked. Outlaw