Learning to Love My Body after Surgery to Remove DFSPAfter having two surgeries for dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP), a rare form of skin cancer, I now have a larger body with more scars. The result of the surgeries is that...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Can Caffeine Reduce the Risk of Skin Cancer?I don’t drink a lot of caffeine. In fact, most days I drink no caffeine. My favorite drink is water. Plain, unflavored water. There are some days when I am...Reactions0reactionsComments9 comments
Genetic Testing and MelanomaMedical science has had many improvements over the years and there is testing for things you never could in the past. Not only are certain tests informational, but some can...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Blaming the Patient for Having Skin CancerYou say you’re not surprised - That I should have seen it coming. You say I got what I deserved And you won’t listen to what I try to say.You...Reactions0reactionsComments15 comments
What "They" Don't Tell you About Skin Cancer Surgeryin February 2021, I was diagnosed with dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans. DFSP is a rare form of skin cancer, considered a sarcoma, that affects 1 in 1 million people. The golf ball-sized...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Helping Others Get Screened for Skin CancerIf you've had skin cancer, then you know how important early detection is to prevent further damage. Mine started with a place on my face that looked like a clear...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
Is That Efudex You're Prescribing For Me?Three weeks ago, I went to the dermatologist for a recheck on a spot she had frozen off a few months earlier. I wasn’t particularly nervous, because she had called it...Reactions0reactionsComments7 comments
How to Be a Skin Cancer PatientLet’s face it. There is a long, overwhelming list of things life for which life should offer an instruction manual. Parenting is probably the first one on the list. Along...Reactions0reactionsComments3 comments
Take the Person Before Patient SurveyThe Person Before Patient Survey is now closed. Thank you for your interest! What makes us the people we are? Living with a serious health condition like skin cancer can...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Tanned Skin, the Media, and the Advocacy That Will Change EverythingNothing changes if nothing changes. I have heard those words many times over the last few years, and I even have a t-shirt bearing the same quote. The words are...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
What To Ask a New Dermatologist About Skin CancerSometimes it happens. You're seeing a doctor you love, one who knows all about your medical history, and you easily converse with them about your care. Then for whatever reason...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
I Thought It Was Just a Keloid...This is the beginning of the story of my diagnosis of and treatment for DFSP, a rare skin cancer. It all started with a tiny scar on my lower right...Reactions0reactionsComments5 comments
Sun Protection Tips and Tricks for TravelersIf you have a big trip coming up it’s likely you’ll be spending a fair amount of time traveling. However you decide to travel you’ll likely have a roof over...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Avoiding People, Places and Dermatology Appointments?I took the Long Island Railroad into Manhattan for a routine, mandatory COVID-19 test for work (if there is such a thing as a routine COVID-19 test). I started looking...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
National Cancer Survivors Day 2021: Motivation During Our Darkest Days with CancerOn National Cancer Survivors Day, observed each year on the first Sunday in June, we honor and celebrate all of those who have been impacted by a cancer diagnosis. Every...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Wondering: Did I Get Too Much Sun at Outside Yoga?After months of seeing my yoga teacher on a screen, through Zoom classes due to the pandemic, I was intrigued by the idea of doing the 75-minute class in her...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
UV Rays: Protecting Your SpaceThis spring, I found myself with a lengthy stretch of time at home. Normally, that would be a great thing during the summer--time to relax outdoors, time to sit outside...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Some Realities of Having Dermatofibrosarcoma ProtuberansI was diagnosed with dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP), a rare form of skin cancer, a few months ago, and I had 2 surgical resections of the visible tumor on my right...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Self-Advocacy in Skin Cancer TreatmentWith more than twenty-five years' history of skin cancer, I can’t tell you how many procedures and surgeries I have had to remove basal cell, squamous cell carcinomas and treat...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Makeup and Sunscreen: Choosing the Right LayersMuch has been written about makeup and sunscreen, so why should you read another post? Well, some point out how the sunscreen in makeup isn't enough. But what about layering...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments