Here are a few pictures from when I had the Melanoma removed. And this came from a small mole, it was brown and irregular but not huge.
I remember as a child going to tanning salons and sitting on my game boy as my mom tanned. Or fighting with my brother :)! Also in the summers we spent many hours at the pool. As a kid my mom did make me wear sun screen! But things changed when I was a teenager, I would go to the country club with my friends where I was introduced to "being bronze and tan equals beauty." This is one of the biggest lies I had ever believed! So I remember around 12 years old, I started using tanning oils and baby oil to tan my skin. Yes, it looked good at that moment but I had no clue what was happening to my skin. This continued each summer until I was 22. But when I was 15 after begging my mom she finally gave into me going to the tanning bed. I loved the tanning bed and that's where I lived year round. SCARY!!!!
Being tan became part of my identity. I felt more confident, more accepted, and more beautiful when I had a tan. And I'm sure a lot of women can identify themselves with this lie. I then had the opportunity to live 1 mile from the beach for a season. My tanning addiction was horrible at this point! Sickening really! Because in reality who really cares how tan you are?
I flew into Arkansas from living in Florida for a little vacation. The first thing my dad said was "what's on your neck?" You'd think I'd be upset that was the first thing out of his mouth, but it saved my life from a shortened life at 22 years old. I was in the doctors office the next day, two days later in the dermatologist, and two days later I got the dreaded phone call. I had a dear friend since preschool who was over at my house! Poor girl at 22 years old sitting on my bed as I speak with my doctor and all I hear is CANCER!!!!!! I then say talk to my dad, I don't understand anything you're saying minus I HAVE CANCER!!!!! And I knew my dad could be strong emotionally for myself and my family. It actually was comforting at that moment to have Casey at my house when I received the news. Something to break the ice from the emotions raging. So if you're reading Casey Hale, I appreciate you during that time!!
I believe it was 2 weeks later I had surgery. Everything was so fast! I hated surgery because I wasn't put to sleep besides "chill out drugs." I probably needed much more than just that ha!!! I even think my mom stayed in there for part of it. Really I don't know. Its been six years ago this July. So memories are fading, which is great for me! Sometimes major things in our lives bring in trauma (which is a whole different topic) and I know this brought in anxiety and depression.
I'll stop all the process of some of things I went through now because there is more. But I will challenge you to think twice this spring and summer before you step into the tanning beds or going to lay by the pool or beach. First off step out of the tanning bed PERIOD! It now has been proven that tanning beds are 10x worse than the suns exposure. Crazy huh? Its been researched. So please don't look at the Ads and the BEST deals to tempt you into getting into the tanning bed. It kills and causes severe cancer. Also when you do go out into the sun, put on sun screen!!! I'll be honest I still go to the lake house and swim in the pool in the summers! But you better believe I will have 30 SPF on. So I still get tanned and enjoy the sun but nothing like I use too. And really who cares that you are pale or white? Isn't that how we were created in the beginning? You don't see other races laying out in the sun do you? Exactly! We should be protecting ourselves from the sun daily.
Think Twice this Summer about sun exposure! Its not worth the risk of cancer! Because cancer SUCKS!! But it did make me a stronger person and I appreciate the life God has given me now.
It just isn't worth your life or dealing with cancer.
Just keep on keeping on :)
