Do you know your ABCD’S

[Mrs. CountryGuy]

May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month. MOCer’s spend a LOT of time outside. SOOOO, this is something, Al and I feel we all need to pay close attention to.

Do you know the ABCD’s of recognizing skin cancers??

Here are a few pages to look at if you need to review this very dangerous health risk:

http://www.skincancer.org/Melanoma/?...FQgNDQodc0PG-g

http://www.cancerresearch.org/resour...FRAhDQodYX8-9A

http://www.cancer.med.umich.edu/cancertreat/skincancer/skin_cancer_all_types.shtml

http://www.cancer.med.umich.edu/cancertreat/skincancer/index.shtml

Al and I recently became VERY aware of melanoma when he was diagnosed with it. Let me tell you, the time between when the doctor says, this is NOT looking good and the time when you hopefully get a biopsy back that says, this did not go to the dangerous stage is one very very very scary time.

Here is where he went:

http://www.cancer.med.umich.edu/cancertreat/skincancer/the_clinic.shtml

Some things we learned about melanoma, and, please note, this is what we understand the facts to be, do your own research, google melanoma, there are LOTS of great sites and TONS of really good info out there at your fingertips!!

Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer. However, if it is recognized and treated early, it is nearly 100 percent curable. But if it is not, the cancer can advance and spread to other parts of the body, where it becomes hard to treat and can be fatal.

A melanoma only needs to go about 1/25th of an inch deep into your skin to start heading towards the lymph glands, etc. More men are diagnosed with melanoma than women. Melanoma found on the trunk of your body is more dangerous than on your arms and legs. Treatment of choice, per Al’s doctors, is surgery. You really don’t want to have to have the other treatments available.

Since we, as RVer’s spend a lot of time in the great outdoors, please think very hard about seeing your dermatologist twice a year for a full body exam, noting that melanomas can even be found on the bottom of your feet.

Please learn your ABCD’s.

[richfaa]

That is very good advise Carol.. I have never been a sun worshiper and never worked outdoors. Being of Sicilian heritage my skin coloring is more tolerant to the sun. Helen however being a Irish person with practically no skin coloring at all has little built in protection and has to be very aware.
Hope all will be well for Al...

[boylanag]

Great reminder, Carol - thanks! I was diagnosed a couple of years ago and it was in the early stages. The treatment then was a paste put over my face and forehead that turned my face into one big scab. Scared the heck out of some of the grandkids. "Chemo in a tube" is what the Dr. called it. I return every six months and usually get a few spots "zapped" with liquid nitrous oxide, I think the gas is. I am just grateful that I had it checked earlier when I did. - Jim

[TheCoachPotatoes]

Carol,

So glad your hubby is ok. We've been there and done that also. Six years ago, my Al was also diagnosed. Luckly, it was also caught in the early stage and removed. He has been cancer-free now for 6 years. He went faithfully for checkup's for the first five years and now only has to go once a year for checkups.

Having lost a close friend to this disease, it was very scary when we got the diagnosis. I didn't realize that it was so cureable if caught early. Thank God it was caught so early.

One more thing I should mention, he is Italian and has a dark complection. He does spend time outdoors, but is not a sun-worshiper. He rarely gets a sunburn. He darkens from the sun very quickly. So, I guess being dark-skinned does not mean it won't happen.

One tip the doctor told me was to always report new moles. His was new but didn't look bad. It was however, irregular in shape and that is one clue that it might be a melanoma.

So, I would say, follow Carol's advise and get checked! It could save your life!

Nita

[Mrs. CountryGuy]

Thanks Nita, Jim and Rich.

Al has has the first biopsy, came back Melanoma. Had surgery number 1, came back, has not spread past the 1/25th of an inch, no indication that it has gone to the lymph glands.

He has another surgery to go. U of M, prefers to do two surgeries. We have no reason at this time to believe that the 2nd surgery will give anything but a clean biopsy, but this is the "C", eh??

U of M does it this way: the first surgery they take out the mole and area around it. Test. Now, if the results indicate the cancer has spread, when they do surgery number 2, they actually shoot a die in near where the mole was, this die will run along and show them which, if any, glands have been involved. Sorta like a map to the bad stuff.

Since Al's first surgery biopsy came back clean, we get to skip that part, but, they want to take more skin area, like an extra insurance policy that they got it all. Yes, they biopsy that one too.

So, we get to go through that wait and see stuff for the results of surgery number 2, in a few weeks.

Please, learn your ABCD's. Google Melanoma. See your dermatologist.