I see people all the time now with sunburn from mild to quite severe and I want to ask them if they know what they could potentially be doing to themselves. A friend of mine said she used baby oil recently. I said I used to use that. Look at me now. She promised she wouldn’t do it again. I hope she doesn’t. You see until this happens to you, you take many things for granted too, like our skin. We pay little or no care to what we subject it to when we spend hours in the sun just to get a tan and laugh and joke about our silly tan lines and our white bottoms afterwards. I have to say I dont miss the white bottom but I do miss being sun kissed. Now I feel like I’m being sun bashed. lol You cant get a skin transplant. Once you get melanoma you cant un-get it!

Mrs. Ayers writes with a charming candor that may help the healthy as well as those sharing her challenge to keep a good perspective:

One day at a time, one bus ride [to radiation therapy] at a time one zapping at a time. I go to bed early most evenings so I’m never knackered in the mornings although it takes me time to actually oil my my facial muscles to smile first thing. So poor hubby gets grumparse Alethea whilst everyone on the bus gets to see me awake and chirpy Alethea. By the time I get back its time to get my son from day care. He is such a happy baby (gets it from me lol) I don’t have time to feel sorry for myself.

In another entry she mentions her belated understanding of how day to day sun exposure that we may not even think of can creep up on us, such as hanging an arm out the window while driving. It’s a good reminder that defensive driving should include sunscreen! And checking that arm regularly — and other places where you may unconsciously get day to day exposure – as a more frequent part of your skin self-exam is a good idea, as mentioned by Dr. Richard Besser of Good Morning America:

No matter what your skin color, you have to check your skin regularly for signs of skin cancer. The first place to check is any area that is sun-exposed: your face, neck, ears, hands and your back and legs if you’re at the beach. Don’t forget your arm if you hang it out the window while you’re driving. Balding men should check their scalps — even the skin exposed by the part in your hair.

As Mrs. Ayers reminds us, please don’t take your skin for granted.

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.

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.