Archive for the ‘Personal Stories’ Category

Sam Champion’s Skin Cancer Surgery Builds Awareness

Monday, May 24th, 2010

Sam Champion – Good Morning America’s weatherman with a reputation for good reporting as well as good looks (as extolled in lyrics of the recent Broadway musical Avenue Q, at one time!) recently put a brave face forward in being one of the recent trend of reporters who have had medical procedures done live. This procedure was a the removal of a basal cell carcinoma.

Sam Champion's televised skin cancer surgery

Sam Champion's televised skin cancer surgery

Champion tested positive for basal cell carcinoma and will have the spot removed during a micrographic procedure done at the office of his doctor, Michele Pauporte. He’s had four such areas of skin cancer removed in the past….”A lot of people never, ever go see their doctors for these issues and they should,” said Jim Murphy, senior executive producer of “Good Morning America.” He’s had 10 areas of skin cancer removed from his own body.

We applaud Sam and others for helping to dispel some fear and increase awareness for screenings and sun safety.

What can Sam expect for the visage of his arm? Here’s one answer we found by Dr. Neal Schwartz on mole-removal scarring; of course this will vary by surgery site and extensiveness:

Question from a Female / Age: 30 – 39: I had a mole removed, and after the stitches were taken out and the wound healed, my skin was pink. Is this normal? How can I make the skin return to it’s normal (not red) color?
Dr. Schultz: The reason for pinkness is that your body is still bringing nutrients to the area for more repair (since the nutrients are in the blood, and the body is bringing extra red blood to the area, you see the extra blood as a pink color). This pinkness can persist for up to six months, after which it’s probably not helping anymore. If the pink hasn’t disappeared after six months, then it can be removed by a painless laser treatment by your dermatologist. One thing that’s very important while the pink is gradually fading is strict sun protection (best with chem free sunscreens) because the sun can easily turn the pink into a brown color and then you would have to bleach the brown spot.

The forecast is for more sun, less ozone, so stay aware and stay covered.

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Sam Champion's Skin Cancer Surgery Builds Awareness

Monday, May 24th, 2010

Sam Champion – Good Morning America’s weatherman with a reputation for good reporting as well as good looks (as extolled in lyrics of the recent Broadway musical Avenue Q, at one time!) recently put a brave face forward in being one of the recent trend of reporters who have had medical procedures done live.  This procedure was a the removal of a basal cell carcinoma.

Sam Champion's televised skin cancer surgery

Sam Champion's televised skin cancer surgery

Champion tested positive for basal cell carcinoma and will have the spot removed during a micrographic procedure done at the office of his doctor, Michele Pauporte. He’s had four such areas of skin cancer removed in the past….”A lot of people never, ever go see their doctors for these issues and they should,” said Jim Murphy, senior executive producer of “Good Morning America.” He’s had 10 areas of skin cancer removed from his own body.

We applaud Sam and others for helping to dispel some fear and increase awareness for screenings and sun safety.

What can Sam expect for the visage of his arm?  Here’s one answer we found by Dr. Neal Schwartz on mole-removal scarring; of course this will vary by surgery site and extensiveness:

Question from a Female / Age: 30 – 39: I had a mole removed, and after the stitches were taken out and the wound healed, my skin was pink. Is this normal? How can I make the skin return to it’s normal (not red) color?
Dr. Schultz: The reason for pinkness is that your body is still bringing nutrients to the area for more repair (since the nutrients are in the blood, and the body is bringing extra red blood to the area, you see the extra blood as a pink color). This pinkness can persist for up to six months, after which it’s probably not helping anymore. If the pink hasn’t disappeared after six months, then it can be removed by a painless laser treatment by your dermatologist. One thing that’s very important while the pink is gradually fading is strict sun protection (best with chem free sunscreens) because the sun can easily turn the pink into a brown color and then you would have to bleach the brown spot.

The forecast is for more sun, less ozone, so stay aware and stay covered.

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From Our Perspective: Maddie Pallamary, RN

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

Every day, at our four MoleSafe locations, our melanographers see patients with personal stories of what brought them to our offices for their skin exams. Melanoma Updates wants to share the perspective of some of our clinic experts who are at the front lines of patient care, whether graciously guiding our new patients through the process or managing the concerns of those returning. Our first post is from Maddie Pallamary, RN, from our Millburn, NJ location.

Maddy Pallamary, RN, Melanographer - MoleSafe Millburn

Maddie Pallamary, RN, Melanographer - MoleSafe Millburn

Maddie has worked with us from the beginning, and often provides me with insights and recommendations for patient comforts and considerations that have further enhanced their MoleSafe experience.

Here’s her perspective:

I have seen a number of patients, as you can imagine, that have either had a personal melanoma scare or are very high risk and lots of atypical moles.

They tell me of the extreme fear, anxiety, dread and stress they feel every time they visit their dermatologist. This is because they know every time they see their Dermatologist they ALWAYS get cut and have moles excised, sometimes as many as 2 and 3 moles at a time. And to add to the insult, more often than not, the results come back negative/benign. Because of this, some patients don’t always keep their regular MD appointments, which is a bad thing and something potentially deadly could be missed.

After they have had the MoleSafe procedure and understand its benefits, they express to me their utter sense of relief and calm and peace of mind that it will no longer be the case of ‘when in doubt cut it out’ and they will be on the receiving end of no more unnecessary cuts and ugly scaring. Finally, there is an alternative way to manage these high risk patients and monitor their moles over time.

This is why people like me go into nursing: one of its biggest rewards, the sense of fulfillment and to be able to make a difference, to help people and enhance their quality of life.

Thanks, Maddie – and thanks to all our excellent staff who provide considerate and efficient care at all our MoleSafe locations.

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