Living

There’s something a bit magical about this time of year. There are hints that Spring will soon be here; the days are starting to get a little longer, my hyacinths...

Spring is here and somewhere out there a prom dress is being fitted, a limousine is being reserved, and a photographer is being handed a deposit. Somewhere between the harried...

After learning my diagnosis, I met with my dermatologist who explained that melanoma is staged by thickness. My tumor measured 2.05mm, or about as thick as a nickel. She explained...

I have green eyes and have always felt sensitive to bright lights. Growing up in California always made me feel like I had to squint just to survive outside. Now...

About 4 months ago, I was asked to go on a spring break trip. It wasn’t skiing, it wasn’t hiking, it was 7 days on a cruise ship making stops...

Many people don’t give a lot of thought to skin cancer, until they or someone they know have been diagnosed with it. (I know I didn’t.) Chances are, though, that...

It all started with a little bump on my scalp that I found in 2015 while my husband and I were in Colorado celebrating our ten-year anniversary. I asked him...

I remember looking down at my left forearm for the first time after my surgery in 1988. The surgical stitches were very obtrusive as they wrapped around half of the...

My skin cancer journey began in 2007 with a melanoma diagnosis, and my advocating against tanning began a few years later when I joined Facebook. I began by sharing articles...

We asked our advocates for their perspectives on the different emotions that come at each step of the skin cancer journey. In part one, we learn about the emotional impact...

I’ve had skin cancer since 1995. Early on, my skin cancer seemed pretty predictable-- every couple of years, I’d be in my plastic surgeon's office making preparations for the removal...

A skin cancer diagnosis stinks. It is scary. One goes through a myriad of emotions that begin the first day you hear the “c” word and continues throughout your life...

Skin cancer has been my teacher since 2007. I am enrolled in a class from which I can’t seem to graduate. I didn’t sign up for this course, but I...

Sun safety recommendations often focus on avoiding direct sunlight and lathering on sunscreen with a high SPF value, however, there is more that can be done to protect from harmful...

I was diagnosed with malignant melanoma during the summer of 1988. My thirty-year survival anniversary is this year! I often am asked how I discovered my skin cancer. I tell...

Discussing cancer with children can be a daunting task. It may be tempting to want to shield children from the overwhelming, even scary, situation but the truth is that children...

Over my daughter’s Christmas break from college, we went to the Bahamas for a week. Going on a beach vacation has been at the top of her want-to-do list for...

As a malignant melanoma survivor, the thoughts of skin cancer never quite go away. My scars are a constant reminder of this journey that began back in 1988. Do I...

“Can I travel between immunotherapy treatments?” “Is an airplane safe after chemo?” “How do I bring my medications through airport security?” If you’ve been diagnosed with advanced skin cancer, you...

February got here before I knew what was happening this year. When February hits, so does the fever. Days are getting just a tad bit longer. Spring, hopefully, is around...