Ronni Gordon

A while ago, when someone who knew I had had skin cancer asked me how I was, I said I was clear…for now. But I said I knew that I...

Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi” is about threats to the environment, but you can apply some of the lyrics to a range of losses in life. Specifically, I’m thinking of...

Play in the sun on better courts, or play in the shade on less desirable ones? Controversy has consumed our Monday tennis group. One wants to play in the shade...

If you use hair ties, you might have the same problem with them that I have. They seem to disappear. As many times as I buy a colorful package of...

I knew which dresses I wanted to wear to back-to-back spring and summer weddings, but I wasn’t sure what to do about my skin. For starters, both dresses were short-sleeved...

One of my tennis teams was called Mass Confusion because we were based in Massachusetts and we were confused (though we did win a lot). Well, I now have three...

I have had so many Mohs surgeries that, while for the first couple I was nervous, I mostly view them as an inconvenience keeping me from tennis, running, and yoga...

We all talk about the dangers posed by the sun, but a dangerous place away from the sun, that is not usually mentioned in skin safety literature, is…drumroll…the bathroom. You...

On a hot sunny day, getting dressed for tennis is like getting dressed for a snowstorm: I cover almost every area except for my face. When we were doing drills...

I’m a little what some would call “over the hill,” but still I feel pretty good about myself. I feel pretty good that I have a nice boyfriend, but sometimes...

The other day you could find me in my kitchen, twisting myself into a pretzel, trying to take a good photo of my calf. It was not one of those...

The anticipation of getting Mohs surgery, and the procedure itself, can make you so anxious, that it’s interesting how much the memory fades with time. If you’re nervous about getting...

The tube of ointment would have been in better shape if it had a cap that fit. I had been carrying it around the house, laid it down in a...

It’s comforting to have an “Efudex buddy” who knows what I go through when I apply the chemotherapy cream to my skin. Sometimes, though skin cancer is no laughing matter...

I’m not sure what makes worry spike and then subside. It could be something I say to myself, or a few words that someone says to me, or just a...

After years of being divorced and single, and going on many bad dates, I finally met a nice guy. He’s tall, intelligent, funny, and kind, he likes my dog, he’s...

One of my daily medications puts me at greater risk for skin cancer, and another is supposed to decrease my risk. The one decreasing my risk makes sense, but the...

The feeling when I head to the dermatologist is usually a level below apprehension but above mere curiosity. What will she find this time? There’s always something, even if it’s...

Ever look at yourself in the mirror and think your face doesn’t look so great? Or look down at areas of your skin with discolorations or scars or other irregularities...

If you’ve ever been too hard on yourself, you’re not alone. When it comes to skin cancer, this can manifest as, “I shouldn’t have spent so much time in the...