Cruising and "tanning" after skin cancer diagnoses

[sandravb79]

Take your wake up call and Praise the Lord that He is giving you another chanch. Not being tan is a GOOD thing. It means you are healthy! Your skin only tans because it is being damaged and desperately needs immediate help.

 

Number 1 accept that this has happened. I am a 19 year Cancer survivor and I do know how this head debate goes. It is really hard to face the scary fact that you can (and will) die especially when you are young (I was 42 at diagnosis). It will come but don't try to negotiate it. Sun/tan can kill you (and by the way everybody!).

 

Number 2: Consider yourself this delicate beautiful flower. You would protect a beautiful flower. A hat is your best protection -- I love my Tilly hat with the broad brim and breeze insert. Sun glasses: I wear glasses so I use OverRXlook brand -- your eyes are affected by the sun just like the skin but has less defense. Long sleeve shirt: travelsmith and Magellans have specialty shirts for sun protection but really any shirt with long sleeves and a collar does fairly well. Long pants or skirt are excellent also. I have a white "big shirt" that is always with me -- for me sun is literally pain as I burn so much. Don't forget the feet! The worse burn I ever got was the top of the feet and a friend had a skin cancer on her ankle. Ugly fact but when swimming need cover -- tshirt or body suit. The sun's harmful rays are intesified by reflection of snow or water.

 

Number 3: Still wear your sun screen and still moisturise every day. Plan your time in the sun for early in day or late in day. Just don't do mid day sun.

 

Number 4: Become an educator and activist for a healthy lifestyle with the sun. It is time to stop this nonsense that damaged skin (tan) is beautiful! It is not healthy and as you know can kill you which is definitely not beautiful.

 

I am so happy that your cancer was found early and "cured". Now get out there and enjoy your life. Make the changes that need to be made and don't look back. The best revenge for a bad break in life is to live well and laugh often and encourage others. Best of luck!

 

(I had to stop smoking after my cancer and on my next trip I have to wear a walking boot to tiptoe through the tulips and it slows me down and is heavy AND UGLY so believe me I know how hard it is to adjust but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger AND smarter.)

 

 

MTE. For various reasons I shouldn't go in the sun for too long. When I complained to teh doctor about not getting a tan, she told me that yes, I wasn't going to get a tan, but I was also not going to get wrinkles, leathery skin, ...

Just think about it: Cleopatra bathed in milk to get a white skin. In Japan, people buy cosmetics to look whiter. Not having a tan is nothing to be ashamed of, nor is it the end of the world.

[nikita]

I LOVED your posts. It really gave me something to think about. It's too late for me as my skin is already worse then Lindsey Lohans...(loved the comparison!) but maybe I can talk my 22 year old daughter into loving the way her skin looks without a tan and hopefully others that read this thread will take heed as well. Thanks again for the comments and photos!!

[Marge106]

I too am a skin cancer survivor. 5 times all on my face...eventually leading to losing part of my nose. Thanks to a great plastic surgeon you would never know it. I never, never leave my house without liberally applying some type of sunscreen. All of my moisturizer's have SPF15's in them ( Iuse Borghese products). But I do love the sun and have not stopped cruising. I never leave my cabin without applying sunscreen to every part of my body, including those areas that are covered by bathing suits and clothing. I always wear a hat. I still go in the pool, I'm the one with the baseball cap on top of my head :)

One thing no one has mentioned. Take care of your ears...expecially the top meaty part. I've also had a basal cell removed from there. Also those of us that were thong shoes, please make sure you sunscreen between your toes. I know of someone who had a melanoma in that spot.

The best advice .... stay out of the sun as much as possible. Swim and enjoy yourself but then go and sit in the shade. You'll find the chair hogs prefer the chairs right out in the sun.

[LindaM]

Nikita,

 

Mom had melanoma in situ. Both her brother and mom had the regular melanoma. My uncle's was on his butt---which never saw the sun.

 

I haven't tried a spray tan yet. The only bad part of self tanning is that it does rub off when a person sweats. I got it on a dress and the dry cleaner couldn't get it off. It does come off with soap, though. My husband can't stand it because it discolors the sheets. If I am sitting on white vinyl while sweating, it will leave an orange spot. But.....I did use Lancome for many years, when I wasn't able to get in the sun!! I would recommend that brand. I still have a bottle---and I know I will try it again. I have heard that tanning towels are good, too!!

 

My basal cell on the neck wants to come back. I see a small red bump every so often. I read that renova/tretinoin works at removing the cells. I am trying that on my old skin cancer spot.

 

Melanoma is pretty scary. At least you caught it early. I hope they told you to get checked every 6 months now!

[nikita]

Nikita,

 

Mom had melanoma in situ. Both her brother and mom had the regular melanoma. My uncle's was on his butt---which never saw the sun.

 

I haven't tried a spray tan yet. The only bad part of self tanning is that it does rub off when a person sweats. I got it on a dress and the dry cleaner couldn't get it off. It does come off with soap, though. My husband can't stand it because it discolors the sheets. If I am sitting on white vinyl while sweating, it will leave an orange spot. But.....I did use Lancome for many years, when I wasn't able to get in the sun!! I would recommend that brand. I still have a bottle---and I know I will try it again. I have heard that tanning towels are good, too!!

 

My basal cell on the neck wants to come back. I see a small red bump every so often. I read that renova/tretinoin works at removing the cells. I am trying that on my old skin cancer spot.

 

Melanoma is pretty scary. At least you caught it early. I hope they told you to get checked every 6 months now!

 

I was afraid of the coming off part...that would be a bummer if it stained my clothing! I have used some self tanners in the past and never noticed it coming off on my clothes but it has been in the winter when sweating doesn't happen too often - and also I don't sweat too badly anyways so maybe it will be ok.

 

I believe I was given some of that cream about 7 years ago to use on a basil skin cancer on my chest and it did work but the process wasn't too pleasant...made a huge scab on my chest that itched like crazy for about 3 weeks...well at least no scar though!

 

I am going to see the doctor every 3 months for the next year and once every 6 months thereafter. With your family history I hope you are also pro active and it sounds like you are!

[nikita]

I too am a skin cancer survivor. 5 times all on my face...eventually leading to losing part of my nose. Thanks to a great plastic surgeon you would never know it. I never, never leave my house without liberally applying some type of sunscreen. All of my moisturizer's have SPF15's in them ( Iuse Borghese products). But I do love the sun and have not stopped cruising. I never leave my cabin without applying sunscreen to every part of my body, including those areas that are covered by bathing suits and clothing. I always wear a hat. I still go in the pool, I'm the one with the baseball cap on top of my head :)

One thing no one has mentioned. Take care of your ears...expecially the top meaty part. I've also had a basal cell removed from there. Also those of us that were thong shoes, please make sure you sunscreen between your toes. I know of someone who had a melanoma in that spot.

The best advice .... stay out of the sun as much as possible. Swim and enjoy yourself but then go and sit in the shade. You'll find the chair hogs prefer the chairs right out in the sun.

 

Thank God for good plastic surgeons!! Now you won't be the only lady in the pool with a hat on - I will be joining you!! Thanks for sharing!!

[Palmetto Lady]

I'm another fan of Lancome. It doesn't smell bad and lasts about a week. I always exfoliate before applying it. I only care about a tan on my legs. It helps make my veins less obvious.

I gave up lying in the sun when I was about 35. I noticed that my chest was starting to show creases. This was the "V" where one often got burned because you didn't plan to be outdoors very long.

For an old lady, my skin is darn good.

 

I am now religious about wearing a hat as I had a basil cell removed from my head. My dermatologist said that women usually get one in the part area but mine was not.