Living

During the summer of 2012 I worked part time for the American Cancer Society (ACS) while I was pursuing my Master’s Degree. I was helping the organization in its Making...

Temperatures are dropping, leaves are falling, and we have begun our annual closet dig for sweaters, long-sleeved shirts, and boots. Some of us have, albeit begrudgingly, put away our flip-flops...

This past weekend, I went to Talladega. My daughter had told me she really, really wanted to go and it happened to be during her Fall Break from college, so...

Since I was first aware of melanoma it has always been my moles that I have viewed as the enemy. Watching and scrutinizing them for any change. Whilst many people’s...

There are many things I wish I knew when I was younger, before I had skin cancer. Here is the list of things I'd go back and tell my younger...

You did it. You survived this battle. You have the scars to prove it, the battle wounds. But what happens, when that's not all you leave the hospital with? Survivor's...

If you’ve had skin cancer, or if you’re at high risk for developing it, you may be focused on following good sun habits, reducing your exposure to harmful UV rays...

We all know to wear our sunscreen in the summer and practice good sun habits, but what about during the other seasons of the year? The answer is, being sun...

I recently read a post where some members of our community felt the sting of having others minimize their skin cancer experience because they did not go through chemotherapy. Some...

Parenting with melanoma knocked on my door in 2007. I had unwittingly invited it into my life over the years through my heated desire to tan my pale, freckled skin...

You know the drill. “Do you have sunscreen on?” “You know that could be a bad mole?” “Did you reapply?” “You’re going to the beach all day?” We ask a...

Many people spend an inordinate amount of time on hair, nails, and even wardrobes. Not enough, however, spend time on their skin beyond choosing lotions or products to reduce the...

“You were snoring.” I'll never forget hearing those words from my doctor. He chuckled as he said them. Did I mention this conversation took place mid-surgery, when I was supposed...

Ugh, you know the drill. Put on sunscreen, reapply. Where’s my hat? We’re riding in a convertible? They chose Miami Beach for the convention? Every day, every month, you’re vigilant...

There’s certainly no lacking of Top 10 lists. Top 10 Classic Rock Songs of All Time. Top 10 Bizarre Phobias People Suffer From. Midway through that particular list (from Listverse.com)...

Numbers have never really been my thing. My least favorite classes in high school and college were classes relating to numbers. Math? I’d rather not. Accounting? Please just let me...

My children are both now in college. They have known about my skin cancer their entire lives. They have seen my scars. They know the regimen that I must follow...

Efudex, or fluorouracil, has been an important part of my life for the last four years. Efudex, also known as Efudix, is one of several topical medications used by skin...

3 rings. That's all it took before I answered the contact-less, but familiar, number on my phone. The woman on the other side seemed calm and unfazed as she broke...

I made what could have been the simplest but most important decision of my life in 2007. A quick phone call, a few brief words, and I decided I was...