A Cautionary Tale

[thekarens]

First I'd like to say I'm not sharing this so I can have a pity party, but as information that I think is important and some things I wish I had known when I was younger (though it's just as important now.)

On 01/02 I was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma, which is a type of skin cancer (the best kind to get if you insist on gettin skin cancer.)

Now I've always been an indoor kind of girl and when I do go out I've always been careful to use sunscreen as I also have severe rosacea. However, there are things I didn't know.

First, you should wear a daily spf lotion with at least 15 spf even if you're not going out in the sun. Apparently flourescent lights aren't too kind to skin. If you're using lotion, might as well get some with some spf.

Second, very few people use the amount of sunscreen that they should or reapply it as often as they should. It needs to be reapplied every 2 hours and you should use 1 oz (about a shot glass full)

To learn more about sunscreen here's an excellent link: Sunscreens Explained - SkinCancer.org

I also wanted to mention that we all know that weird looking growths and changing moles should be looked at, but if you have a spot that constantly itches or doesn't heal, get it checked out ASAP. I didn't know anything about that.

Save yourself some grief. What's the old saying? An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

 

[veimar]

Oh no, I hope you get it removed! It doesn't give metastases... My mum had 3 of them and didn't bother for years (although we all told her to go and check), and now she has unsightly scars luckily not in the open parts of the body. She loved to sunbathe in her youth.
Keep checking because they tend to come back.

 

[thekarens]

Oh no, I hope you get it removed! It doesn't give metastases... My mum had 3 of them and didn't bother for years (although we all told her to go and check), and now she has unsightly scars luckily not in the open parts of the body. She loved to sunbathe in her youth.
Keep checking because they tend to come back.

Normally they don't metasticize, it's extremely rare, but it can happen and at the very least if you don't get it treated it can and will grow and can become disfiguring.

I wanted it removed immediately, but the soonest they can get me in is 01/27. She only does surgeries on Tuesdays and is booked up until then. I asked to be put on a waiting list in case they have a cancellation, but I'm not holding my breath, after all, who says, yes, I'd like to keep my cancer a little longer?

 

[veimar]

Oh don't worry about that - they are very slow growing, and this date should be fine. My mom had them for over 10 years....

 

[JerseyWendy]

I'm sorry, Karen, I truly am.

My sister had 2 removed (from her face), and my BIL had 3 removed (all on his scalp - he's bald). My neighbor JUST had skin biopsies done on 5 separate 'growths', and she's waiting to hear of the results.

Thank you very much for the reminder and the link! Yes, precaution IS necessary!

Best of luck, Karen!!

 

[thekarens]

I'm sorry, Karen, I truly am.

My sister had 2 removed (from her face), and my BIL had 3 removed (all on his scalp - he's bald). My neighbor JUST had skin biopsies done on 5 separate 'growths', and she's waiting to hear of the results.

Thank you very much for the reminder and the link! Yes, precaution IS necessary!

Best of luck, Karen!!

I appreciate it Wendy. I'm very lucky that my issue is minor. I have a friend that he had a spot on his leg that itched and itched. He saw the derm and she didn't want to do anything about it because she said it looked fine. He convinced her to take a biopsy and he had melanoma. Thankfully they caught it early and he's 4 years in remission.

The fact is though, that the word CANCER is scary. We're taught to be terrified of the word. So, it is scary, but I'm grateful it's "fixable."

 

[Kiwibird]

I hope your treatment is successful and the cancer does not return.

And PLEASE, coming from a pale-skinned Arizona native who knows a bit about the sun and how bad it burns, consider protective clothing over sunscreen for prolonged sun exposure. They make some very nice, cool, breathable options these days and while perhaps not "super stylish" it protects your skin without chemicals and you never have to remember to reapply your hat or shirt (we hope). And please make sure to take a vitamin D supplement if you do wear sunscreen constantly because vitamin D deficiency is becoming increasingly common these days due to lack of exposure to the sun.

 

[thekarens]

I hope your treatment is successful and the cancer does not return.

And PLEASE, coming from a pale-skinned Arizona native who knows a bit about the sun and how bad it burns, consider protective clothing over sunscreen for prolonged sun exposure. They make some very nice, cool, breathable options these days and while perhaps not "super stylish" it protects your skin without chemicals and you never have to remember to reapply your hat or shirt (we hope). And please make sure to take a vitamin D supplement if you do wear sunscreen constantly because the sun is the only reliable source for vitamin D and vitamin D deficiency is becoming increasingly common these days due to lack of exposure to the sun.

As a Texan, as white as mayo, and severe rosacea I wholeheartedly agree. I pretty much only go out for cycling and birdwatching and I do wear the spf for biking with long sleeves. Birding is usually done in the woods with a hat, cammo gear and sunscreen.

Unfortunately clothing can't cover the face and neck completely, even with the hat, so I never forego the sunscreen and your face/neck is the most likely place you'll get a basal cell.

 

[RavensGryf]

Oh Karen, I'm so sorry to hear about the diagnosis, but relieved to hear that it is getting removed, and has a low risk of spreading. My thoughts and prayers to you my friend.

 

[Allee]

Karen, I'm sorry to hear this but so glad you caught it right away. I hope your treatment is entirely successful and this is a one time occurrence. Thank you for sharing the link and the valuable advice.

Best of luck, Karen.

 

[labell]

Sorry to hear this Karen and I am glad you are getting it taken care of. I had it on my face as well many years ago and it was removed without further issues.

 

[thekarens]

Sorry to hear this Karen and I am glad you are getting it taken care of. I had it on my face as well many years ago and it was removed without further issues.

Thanks labell for the good news. Everyone else I've talked to who's had it has had multiple spots or reoccurances.

 

[Betrisher]

I'd like to add that it's even more important to keep an eye on the skin of children. It's not so much the exposure you get in adulthood that causes BCCs, but the exposure you get in childhood. I used to bake myself to the point of blistering when I was a teenager (long before we knew about the damage UV does to skin). It was that damage and the sunburns I suffered as a little kid that gave me the nice crop of BCCs I've had in adulthood.

The other thing is to get someone to check your back and other areas you can't see. My latest BCC was right between my shoulder blades in area I can neither see with a mirror nor touch with my hand. I have a photo of my back and my husband and doctor use it to check for me. My Mother-in-Law had a dear little pin-prick sized melanoma removed from her ear-canal! The surgery was extensive with skin grafts, but she was SO lucky to have it detected early!

 

[thekarens]

Trish has some very good advice. Sun damage as a child exponentially increases your chances as an adult of getting skin cancer.

However, that doesn't mean you're off the hook as an adult. BCCs are cumulative skin damage so you still need to be careful and protect your skin as an adult. Also, your skin can be damaged without being burned. Red skin is damaged skin.

I also want to add that you should have your significant other check those "special" places because squamous cell cancer likes to hide there.

Trish, it's a miracle your MIL found that. It would never cross my mind to look in there. That's a miracle for sure!

 

[Terry57]

Karen, I am so glad you shared this info with us. Important info to keep in mind.
I am really hoping that they can get you in before the 27th, so it will be over with for you.
I am so sorry that you have this, but very relieved that it was not a much worse diagnosis, my Friend. You know you are in my thoughts.

 

[Scott]

So sorry you are dealing with this, Karen. I hope you have prompt and proper treatment, and recover with minimal discomfort.

Thanks for sharing the experience and cautions with the gang.

 

[pycthedragon]

I'm glad to hear that it's not critical but even then it causes life changing effects. I'm sorry to hear about the diagnosis. When my mom got thyroid cancer we knew her life wasn't at risk and it wasn't like she was going to be horribly disabled or anything but we didn't think about how she would need medication all the time and little stuff. Her life is almost like what it used to be like but in her case there were little things that will always be different.

It's true that a lot of cancer just falls down to bad luck, but doing what you can to reduce the chance, the better. Cancer is caused by genetic material getting screwed up in a cell and losing control in multiplying - and UV radiation has enough energy to do that enough where it can cause some problems - which is what helps prevent skin cancer. Might as well not expose yourself if you can.

 

[Minimaker]

Thanks for the reminder Karen, get well soon. I hope everything goes well for you.

My teenage son had this weird mole on his back that he could not reach that seemed to change from red to whitish and crusty as though it had oozed and dried, etc. I was worried about it so I forced him to have it removed. He was beyond mad at me at the time. All I could think about is the potential danger it could lead to down the road. It's always wise to get things checked out just in case. When in doubt, get it removed.

 

[thekarens]

Thanks for the reminder Karen, get well soon. I hope everything goes well for you.

My teenage son had this weird mole on his back that he could not reach that seemed to change from red to whitish and crusty as though it had oozed and dried, etc. I was worried about it so I forced him to have it removed. He was beyond mad at me at the time. All I could think about is the potential danger it could lead to down the road. It's always wise to get things checked out just in case. When in doubt, get it removed.

You're a very good Mom. Better safe than sorry. Any new growths or changes in your skin that can't be explained by an injury, etc should be checked out. Skin cancer is extremely treatable if caught early. In the early stages it's very minor procedures for non melanoma cancers.

 

[thekarens]

So I had my surgery yesterday. I was nervous, but it went fine. They had told me originally I'd have 2 stitches, one on the inside and one on the outside. I have 6 on the outside so I'm not convinced they can count. I'm fine with it if they got everything. I'll find out in a week or so.