Melanoma Awareness Month

So it turns out that "healthy tan" is an oxymoron. May is Melanoma Awareness Month and someone close to me is battling melanoma. It started as a mole, spread to the lymph nodes and then to the brain. Treatment has been rough - surgery, gamma knife radiation, 30 rounds of IV chemotherapy and bottles of chemo pills, but God is good and we are hopeful.

Fortunately for you, prevention is much easier than treatment. Use sunscreen and make sure your kids use it too. They say that the few blistering sunburns you get as a kid are as likely to cause melanoma as moderate long-term exposure. Get checked by a dermatologist frequently, especially if you have moles. If you do find skin melanoma, treat it aggressively from the start! OK, I'll get off my soapbox now :)

[ Edited by: MadDogMike 2010-05-01 07:15 ]

It's Melanoma Awareness Month again so let me tell you about the whole sordid affair;
In January of 2006, my wife noticed a mole on her abdomen was looking ugly. It biopsied and the results came back as cutaneous melanoma. A month later, it was removed using the Mohs procedure. We were told it was gone, no further treatment needed.
Almost 2 years later in December 2007, Leslie found a lump in her armpit. Turned out the melanoma had returned and had spread to her lymph nodes. Our Oncologist told us that the FDA approved treatment for metastatic melanoma has a 30% five-year survival rate, but there was a clinical trial that was having a 60% success rate - not great but still much better. So she had surgery to remove the lymph nodes and months of grueling experimental chemotherapy ending in May 2008, it looked like the cancer might be gone.
Leslie recuperated, gaining strength and regrowing her hair. Then in December 2008, a routine scan showed 11 tumors in her brain - one tumor was the size of a tangerine. She underwent Gamma Knife radiation and 8 months of weekly chemotherapy, ending in August 2009.
Since then, scans have come back clear and Leslie is participating in an experimental melanoma vaccine study that is showing some promise. I think equally important in Leslie's recovery has been great support from our family and friends as well as our faith in God.
The point of my story is not for your sympathy or pity. My point is that it is SO MUCH EASIER to prevent melanoma than it is to treat it. Melanoma is caused almost exclusively by excessive sun exposure, please protect yourself by using sunscreen and protective clothing. There is some evidence that the times we fried ourselves as kids may cause more damage than the daily cumulative effect - BE SURE TO PROTECT YOUR CHILDREN. Melanoma is an aggressive cancer - if you do end up with a melanoma skin cancer, seek out a melanoma specialist (not just a dermatologist) and treat it aggressively.

[ Edited by: MadDogMike 2010-05-01 07:17 ]

Wow. Good luck with everything in the future, I hope the clear scans keep coming.

A very good reminder to be extra careful all the time.

It's Melanoma Awareness Month, time for an update and a little preaching. Leslie had Gamma Knife radiation in January for 3 tiny tumors in her brain and this week it is Cyber Knife radiation for 2 tumors in her chest. She is strong and feeling well, we still hope to beat this cancer.

Again, melanoma is so much easier to prevent than it is to treat - please! PLEASE! PLEASE! take precautions to prevent excessive sun exposure with suncreen, hats, and protective clothing. Get a dermatologist check-up every year and report any unusual spots. Most of all, teach your children that the sun is not your friend!

Thanks :)
Mike

Thanks for the update, reminder, and very good advice! Its appreciated.

I know better and I know the dangers, yet I still got a sunburn this weekend while working in the yard.
The southern Arizona sun is quite intense! I'll be covering up from now on, though!

Continued wishes for a speedy and total recovery for your wife. She'll be in my prayers tonight.

Thanks Maddog.

gabbahey

Still wishing the best for you; I hope the current surgery goes well.

Just replenished my sunscreen stash the other day, but can always use the reminder to faithfully use it.

Purely as a public service, I proposed setting up a Sunscreen Application Station at the beach during the month of May but my beautiful wife vetoed the idea :D

After 3 1/2 good and happy years since her metastatic melanoma diagnosis, Leslie has finally ended her fight and gone to be with her Lord.

The purpose of this thread has always been about educating people of the dangers of melanoma, THIS IS NOT THE PLACE TO POST CONDOLENCES. If you want to know a little more about Leslie and the kind of woman she was, you can explore the Blog of her journey that has had a quarter of a million hits in the last 3 1/2 years.
http://apps.mgilbert.net/Blog/

I am so sorry to hear this news Mike, Leslie was a real sweatheart & was glad to have met her
I hope you and the kids the best & I am thinking of you!

So sorry to hear this Mike. My sister is going in for surgery for breast cancer tomorrow, she's gone religiously for mammograms every year since I can remember, and was clean and clear last year, this year they found a "tiny" spot in one, went back to do more testing and found it in both...All the technology and we still haven't beaten this stupid stuff.

Thoughts and prayers with you and your family.

Paul

Melanoma is indeed an ugly evil. My Mom has fought skin cancer for years and just had surgery for removal of a melanoma. Bless your wife for fighting the monster. I wish you peace in your time of need.

Since the goal is to educate, here is another link with general information.
http://www.skincancer.org/Melanoma/

The sun is not your friend...protect yourself, and like Mike said, get any suspicious skin issue examined. Prevention is key and early detection is critical.

[ Edited by: VampiressRN 2011-08-22 06:17 ]

It's May again, Melanoma Awareness month. As many of you know, my beautiful wife lost her battle to Melanoma last August so this issue is close to my heart.

Preventing Melanoma has a 100% success rate - avoid excessive sun exposure with shade, clothing (long sleeves and hats), and sunscreen. Teach your children to do the same.

Treating Melanoma as a skin cancer has a 95% success rate - educate yourself and watch for any suspicious skin lesions, especially moles or large freckles. Get regular (annual) checks by your dermatologist, especially for those with fair skin or family history of Melanoma.

Treating Melanoma as a metastatic disease has a 30% success rate - great strides are being made in the treatment of Melanoma. But until that "silver bullet" is found, surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation just seem to slow the disease down in most cases.

100% vs 95% vs 30% ~ it's your choice!

Mike

Still have you and your family in our thoughts Mike! Great picture of Leslie.
Keep up the good fight.

Your wife is beautiful.... Sorry for your loss

My mom passed away almost 2 years ago from metastatic melanoma.

Yes I agree with MAdog....... slather on the sun protection, even on your scalp
don't let this ugly stuff ruin your life.

I love you Mike and as always you and your family are close to my heart.

Good reminder what with Caliente and Oasis right around the corner to protect yourself from the sun.

Even if you are just attending an outdoor vending event don't forget the sun protection!

My thoughts are always with you Mike. Melanoma is a evil devil. My Mom was blessed to have successful surgery on her right elbow last year to remove a melanoma...she has been fighting squamous cell skin cancer for many years. Both she and I spent way too many hours in the sun when we were young teaching swimming...it catches up with you when you get older. Know the symptoms, as skin cancer (an melanoma is the malicious one) can strike at any time.

Take a moment to read about it...you may save a life.
http://www.medicinenet.com/skin_cancer/article.htm

Thanks, Mike (and everyone.) I slathered up good for my walk this afternoon.

Mike, it means so much to me that you continue to keep everyone aware of the importance of always wearing sunscreen, and getting regular skin checks at the doctor.

I grew up in Southern California and spent practially my whole childhood at the beach, and out in the sun. I endured countless sunburns through those years since we didn't really have sunscreen back then. As a teenager though, and ever since I've worn sunscreen daily in hopes of preventing sun damage. I also made it a habit since my early 20's to ask my doctor for a skin check at my yearly exams. Thank God I did too because last August I was diagnosed with Malignant Melanoma on the top of my left ear. It was already very agressive, and spreading fast so they scheduled me for surgery right away. I underwent two different surgeries, one to remove the top of my ear, have 3 sentinal lymph node biopsies done, and reconstruction where they grafted my ear to my the side of my head and had to heal for 6 weeks. Then the second surgery was to finish the reconstruction. Even after the surgeries were done I still had to wait for the biopsy results, and Thank God my prayers were answered because I found out that I was cancer free!

I have to see the dermatologist every 3 months now, and continually have more biopsies each time. It seems crazy that all that sundamage as a kid is coming out in my body now at the age of 42, but I'm so thankful to be under a close watchful eye with my doctor. I'll never forget my doctor telling me that if I hadn't found the Melanoma when I did I would have been gone within a year. I have an almost 13 year old son that means the world to me, and I'm looking forward to having my whole life ahead of me now!

Early detection is the key so everyone please get your skin checked! Wear sunscreen, hats, and keep covered if you can.

Mike, I think of Leslie all the time as she has been such an inspiration to me. She lost her battle only a few weeks before I started mine, and she continues to bring me strength and encouragement in reading her blog. I also have to say that you have been so incredibly supportive of me through my experience, and I'm forever grateful and thankful to call you my friend.

Lots of Love,
Christina

Thank you Christina

Yikes. So glad you're doing well, Zaya!

On 2012-05-15 21:20, bamalamalu wrote:
Yikes. So glad you're doing well, Zaya!

Thank you Bamalamalu! I'm definitely surrounded by guardian angels. I'm also blessed with so many amazing people that have helped me through it all. Especially my boyfriend Buzzy, my sister, mom, son, and the most incredible family and friends. Even friends of friends, and people I don't even know were praying for me. It might sound funny, but I experienced so many beautiful positive things through all this from the love and prayers that I received that it by far outweighed any of the negative things I was going through.

I'll always remember one night when my mom took my sister, son and I out to a "Celebration dinner" a couple of days after I got the good news that my biopsy results came back clear. When I thanked her for the beautiful dinner she said to me, "It's something worth celebrating!" I'll never forget that.

Now, like Mike, it's my mission to spread the word about Melanoma, and the dangers of the sun. It makes me so happy to think we can bring awareness through our own experiences, and help other people so they don't have to go through it.

It’s Melanoma Awareness Month again. Time for your annual reminder to wear high SPF sunscreen and cover up as well as possible. Most importantly, teach your children and grandchildren to do the same ~ there is no such thing as a healthy tan! Watch your skin for things that don’t look right and see a dermatologist on a regular basis. I went today and my dermatologist burned about 30 places on my face and neck because I didn’t cover up for the first 50 years of my life.

It’s been a little over a year and a half since I lost my wife to Melanoma. I am doing OK, I’m dating a beautiful and wonderful woman who puts a thick cover of happiness over my sadness. But I would give everything I own to not have lost my Leslie to such a preventable disease. The sun is NOT your friend!

Thanks for sharing, Mike. Your wife sounds like she was a wonderful woman, I'm very sorry for your loss. I'll post about MAM on Twitter for my few followers.

Best of luck to you and your new love!

MDM, Thank you for the much needed reminder.

BUMP!!!!

It's Melanoma Awareness Month again. The sun is not your friend, especially if you are fair skinned. Wear sunscreen and protective clothing whenever possible. Educate your children & friends. This cancer that took my wife's life started as nothing more than a brown oddly shaped freckle, smaller than a pencil eraser. Be sure to get annual skin checks from a Dermatologist.
Thank you :)

Thanks, Mike. Best to you.

Thanks, Mike. Best to you.

Thank you, Mike!

If anyone's interested, this is my new favorite sun-protective fabric (ZnO.)
It doesn't feel yucky (cotton/bamboo with just a bit of spandex) and it can go in the washing machine & dryer!

http://www.coolibar.com/catalog/search.cmd?currentIndex=0&pageSize=15&form_state=searchForm&keyword=znO

When we are not in a dark Tiki bar drinking rum, you will find us out on the beach drinking rum (or surfing, sailing, swimming, biking, hiking, etc) Remember that the sun is not your friend and there is no such thing as a "healthy tan". May is Melanoma Awareness month. Protect yourself from the sun by covering up with clothing or sunscreen and get regular skin checks.