A Skin Cancer Journey: A Mulligan Anyone?

I was recently seen by a new dermatologist at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, and not surprisingly, out of the gate, she asked me about my prior time in the sun and tanning beds.

Explaining my relationship with tanning beds

Ugh!

I cringed internally as I thought about the life I have lived in the sun and the time that I have spent in tanning beds. I answered the dermatologist’s questions honestly, but I also had to present my defense. I explained to her that, at that time, I did not know that it was unsafe and could lead to a life with ongoing skin cancer issues. I would never have knowingly put myself in harm’s way.

The dermatologist responded that there are lots of things in our society that have not been fully tried and tested and, until they are, we do not know what the long-term effects will be, which is why we should avoid such things now.

I'd like a do-over

I have taken many golf lessons and spent a lot of time on the golf course, but, to be honest, I have never been good at golf. In golf, a mulligan, or a “do over,” is allowed after a golfer makes a very poor shot. The very poor shot is not counted on the player’s scorecard. Another shot is taken in the place of that shot, and the game moves forward.

When I look back on my prior life lived in the sun, a mulligan, or a “do over,” sounds most appealing. That being said, I am not sure it would do me much good because there are many errors that I wish to “do over.” Specifically, prior to my initial skin cancer diagnosis in 2018, my life was full of skin errors that have culminated in the skin cancer journey I am now living.

One mulligan isn't enough

I remember, as a child and teenager, my mom dropped me and my brothers off at the community swimming pool in the summer on a daily basis. The lifeguard was like a free babysitter for me, my brothers, and the kids in my neighborhood. Back then, sunscreen was absolutely not a thing, and baby oil was very much a thing. A dark tan was always the goal, and a very dark tan was viewed as the best outcome for sure.

And also very unfortunately, I used tanning beds. Among my peers in rural North Carolina, I was not unique. Tanning in a tanning bed was common among females in my home town but somewhat less common among males. From the time the child labor laws would allow me to work, I have always worked, and early on I used the spending money I got from my jobs for frivolous expenditures like tanning bed sessions.

We just didn't know that tanning beds are dangerous

My parents are very educated, and my dad even worked in healthcare prior to retirement. However, my parents never suggested tanning in a tanning bed was unsafe or somehow put me at risk for harm at the time or later in life. Similarly, no one else in my life questioned my use of tanning beds. The information we have today, that tanning beds are very dangerous, was just not out there at the time in my life when I was using tanning beds.

I now wish that I could get a mulligan, or rather many mulligans, to “do over” my life spent in the sun and tanning bed. Unfortunately, that is not an option available to me. Therefore, I will continue to walk on my skin cancer journey, take exceptional care of my skin, and focus my efforts on educating others about the risks of skin cancer.

Would you like to apply for a mulligan—a “do over”—with regard to your skin? If so, what would you do over differently this time around? And how would you do it differently?