When you think about skin cancer do you see it as something not to worry about or something that will never be gone from your mind?
My mind goes from obsessing about my skin to not giving it a second thought. What about you?
It is always on my mind, planning what to wear every time I leave the house, worrying about topping up suncream if I am going to be out all day, even being aware of the sun through windows when inside. I have always loved dark evenings and mornings, now I really look forward to that time of year!
Scott Matheny Yes! I love drawing the curtains of an evening and not being woken up by the sunlight in the early hours of the morning! If only I could sleep during the day I would be quite happy to spend my waking hours at night! I have never been scared of the dark and the dog enjoys having a walk in the dark too.
My skin cancer is always on my mind. A friend said to me recently it is my priority. Perhaps it is, I do not know, but it is an ever-present concern. I think about skin cancer daily and I think the answer to your question is that it will likely never be gone but may not be something that you worry about as much as time goes by. I can now think about skin cancer objectively and not in terms of my mortality and fear (for the most part). I am obviously aware that it can strike again but I feel that I am better prepared for it and I don't obsess like I used to. This is probably where I land as well. I needed to find a happy medium for my own sanity. Scott skincancer.net moderator
I had a MOHS surgery way back in 2008 on my leg near my ankle It was squamous cell. When I first started getting treatments, it was every 6 months and there would be up to 20 places all over my "baby oil and iodine" past tanning days body and my body subjected almost daily to tanning beds for a while. I do think about skin cancer all the time now and try to educate my children & grandchildren about it. I try to educate everyone about it. My grandchildren range in age from 2 1/2 to 22 1/2 years old. Recently I've been diagnosed with Merkel Cell Carcinoma. I had never heard of this rare form of skin cancer but I knew when the bump came up that it wasn't good. I'm still in shock about it. It has progressed to my lymph nodes under my left arm which puts it at Stage IIIA. After my PET scan this week, I should be able to start the radiation treatments every day 5 days per week for 5 weeks. I have chosen the radiation over an additional surgery to remove all of the lymph nodes under my arm. I'll be 65 in November and haven't retired yet completely from work. There is a lot of hope for Merkel Cell Carcinoma patients and I plan to be in those who have survived at least 5 years past diagnosis. Thank you for your thoughtful reply and update. My heart goes out to you and I am rooting for you with your present challenges with Merkel. Please let us know how your treatments go moving forward. Scott skincancer.net moderator
