just found I got it...not the bad variety, basal cell. For all you young folks, as well as everyone else, lather up or cover up. I got constantly fried when I was a kid.
ah, **** man, sorry to hear that. how's the treatment program for that type? removal & chemo? just removal? i think spring & fall are the worst times for me in regards to getting burnt...i'm completely ocd about slathering up in the summer, but once fall rolls around, i'm like, "screw it. i'll be fine" & spend 4 or 5 hours in the water, just getting fried. & in the spring, i'm just, "ahhh! sun! this is amazing & wonderous" &, again, spend 4 or 5 hours in the water getting cooked. got funniest tan line i've had in a while this year, a VERY noticeable line from my hood around my face. decided i was done w/ the hood, so i need to remember to slather up on my bald self now.
I wear a hat and a long sleeve rashie every time I surf. My hat is just a baseball hat with a string around it that goes around my neck as a "leash." I will wear it up to double overhead no worries and it almost never comes off. It's crazy how used to surfing with it you get. I am super worried about skin cancer as I am a red head. Hope everything goes well for you mr coop
Not the bad one, basal cell...doesn't spread like melanoma...nothing major...I think they just cut it out...its on my arm...going for a consultation tomorrow on the approach to remove it. From what I read, they just cut it out, unless its on your face, where they may do a different approach. The only bad thing, if it needs stitches, may keep me out of the water for a week or so. I know what you mean by the non summer season. I use to ski in the winter, and I swear I would get burned then too, especially late in the ski season. Always thought to myself, Why would you need lotion in the winter?
definitely a bummer given the run of swell we've been having. still better than the alternative though.
Had 2 basal cells cut out and 2 'pre cancerous' ones removed in last 6 mos...40 yrs of sun and fun. Sadly, not if but when for most of us...
sorry to hear that brother. Hope it ends there. I'm pretty bad about not lubing up, usually to excited to just get out there.
Sunscreen doesn't stay on properly in the water even if you get the waterproof kind and re-apply ever 90 minutes. It doesn't work to eliminate burning. It simply greatly reduces it so you don't turn into a lobster. I speak from personal experience and being a "sun screen nazi", yet still getting mildly burned. If you're really white, you get a little burned on top of your nose and cheek bones every single session no matter what. That's why lifeguards, who are super tan, still use that actual white/ or colored zinc sunblock(vs less effective sunscreen you rub in and is invisible.) on the bridge of their noses. That's a spot that really easily burns.
It's funny because I don't get burned anywhere else other than the beach when I'm outside and wear sunscreen, but when I hit the beach bang.... I'm burned(mildly with sunscreen). I think it's because the water is also reflecting the uv rays so it's a double wammy when You're in the ocean on your board. I
Glad to hear its only a basal. Ive been burned countless times over the years. Ive had probably 10 basals removed thru surgery and a few Squamous cells. I go every 6 months to get checked out. If you get one, you'll probably get more. I would at least go yearly for a look. I now try to wear a good sunscreen and hat when I go out. Its not the end of the world, but do go on a regular basis to get checked out...just in case a melanoma pops up.
I've had about a hundred (not exaggerating) pre-cancers removed over the years. I go to the dermatologist twice a year, and get about a dozen patches either frozen off or cut out and biopsied each time. This is some serious stuff, and can kill you if you don't get it treated right away. I know that for a fact... a close family friend died from skin cancer, on his TOE! First he lost the toe, then ultimately died about 10 months later. Not trying to scare you, brother... just saying that this is for real, and you're gonna need all you got to beat it. It could be me... or any of us... some day. Good luck...
If they do surgery, generally speaking it is a Mohs surgery. Google it and it will explain the process. Ive had 5-6 Mohs and numerous freezings. Just stay on top of it.
Was it basal cell? I never heard of people dying but read about people who let it go and don't do anything about it and there nose or ear removed because it spread all over the ear/nose.
is that from decades at the beach,or is it from getting sunburn every time u hit the beach?i have weird skin,like I literally do not get sunburn,literally il lay out on the beach for 6hrs and nothing.im naturally tanned so I only get darker,and I look like a Mexican by august.point being is I never use sunscreen,like I seriously never used it in my entire life.i have a few irish buddies that can take out the trash in the summer and come in sunburnt.anyway good luck,hopefully u make it out alright and can still surf
I know a hard core surfer died from melanoma of the eye. Wear SeaSpecs to protect your eye from sun radiation.
I haven't put on any sun bum this whole spring so far. Have been forgetting it. It started in NC when I got really fried.
Good luck with the treatment, Coop. Hope all goes well. And thanks for making us aware that this is something we all need to take measures to prevent. IVO all the time we spend on the water in the sun, getting an annual check-up with a dermatologist is sound advice.
six year survivor melanoma. they got it and with it went 12 sq inches my back. seeing a dermatologist best as laymen can't always tell. i go 4x year - if i hadn't....shudder to think.
