Community Views: When Skin Cancer Causes Grief

Skin cancer has made me grieve the loss of _____.

We asked our Facebook community to fill in the blank: "Skin cancer has made me grieve the loss of _____." Here's what they had to say.

"So much TIME spent at the doctor's office for skin checks, biopsies, surgeries, and rechecks, money on bandages, etc. Time healing. Time that could be elsewhere."

Not being able to enjoy the outdoors without having anxiety

"Just being able to be out in the sun at the beach or outdoors period without worrying about having sunscreen on."
"The love of the beach now I’m too scared to enjoy it."
"Freedom at the Beach ? Now always under a hat or umbrella."
"Spontaneity without overwhelming anxiety when I’m outdoors, especially in the summer months."

Losing a loved one

"My brother, age 48 to malignant melanoma, and my father."
"A friend/colleague."
"My husband who was 42. Started with melanoma on his arm. Spread rapidly to his lungs and brain."
"My brother. 36 years old to melanoma."

Missing body parts

"The loss of my left leg, as my life changed forever."
"A big part of my ear and eyebrow (so far)"
"Parts of my forehead and hands."
"A chunk of skin out of my shoulder"
"My upper lip."
"A large section of my face including part of my eyelid."

Diminished confidence

"I feel less confident."
"My self-esteem. After a botched surgery on my upper lip and several reoccurrences of skin cancer on my lip over the last 11 years, I’ve lost a big part of me and how I feel about myself."
"I haven’t worn a dress in 6 years due to scars."
"A makeup-free face. Too many surgeries and have to cover scars with concealer."
"I was always self-conscious of the scars on my arms and legs after countless surgeries to remove the cancer."