See your Dermatologist

I got every six months, and every time I go I get about a half dozen or so precancers frozen off. The damage has been done, do my derm says. Even if I stayed out of the sun for the rest of my life I'd still have these things popping up for years to come. I just keep using SPF 30 and hope for the best.

 

My dermatologist asked my why I was there, I raised my left hand. She said, "what's wrong with your hand?"I said, "Nothing, my wife made me come." (I was wearing my wedding ring) She had a good laugh.

 

i'm a pretty luck guy when it comes to applying sunscreen on my back. i can reach my whole back, clasp hands together. something to brag about to my friends. wheneva they ask to help apply to their back, i tell them to take up yoga. i don't take yoga. i also can't touch my toes standing up. nobody's perfect

 

I never have gone to a dermatologist. Probably have skin cancer. It seems to be something that people are really paranoid about these days but maybe there is a good reason. I don't have the stats. Do you see a lot of people dying from skin cancer these days? What is the mortality rate depending on when it's detected?

 

i know of one person with malenoma, that has spread...very real, but most are basal or sqaum variety which is lesser worriesome...but squam can be a very real problem if not taken care of...from my understanding, basal is hardly ever a life threatening problem, but one that should not be ignored. Hopefully I didnt get those names mixed up.

 

You get melanoma and your're in big big trouble. High rate of fatality. The basal or squamous can metastasize but they can be removed (frozen off or cut out) with early detection. It's always good to get your barnacles checked out before it's too late.

 

My dad has Sqaumous cell carcinoma. He first had it years ago, had it removed, then it showed up in his lymph nodes a couple years ago. Had surgery, then chemo and radiation. They thought they got it, but then it came back again... obviously a very bad thing. He's been doing imuno therapy for almost a year now. His tumors initially shrunk and now they are holding to the same size, which the docs say is good.

When he first got it, he told me about how when he was growing up, everyone would start summer by getting fried in the sun to get a "base tan." They would then put oil on to get super dark. Sounds stupid now, but apparently everyone in Rhode Island did that... not sure about other places.

As for me... I get checked yearly, a bunch of stuff frozen off my face, under eyes and on my nose. I usually wear a top and always wear a good face stick and waterman's 50 spf on my arms and back of my legs. Gotta be safe... even the "good" skin cancer can kill you.

 

Merck has a new drug (a monoclonal antibody) that is helping patients with melanoma in big ways.
It is called Keytruda (pembrolizumab). It is commercially available and already FDA approved and being used. Bodes well for the future.

 

Good and timely post DosXX. I had my annual checkup yesterday, everything was good (BP, HR, etc.) but PCP was concerned about some of the "moles" on my back, and gave me a referral to a dermatologist. So, this tread is further encouragement to follow-up on this plus get the recommended colonoscopy done. I understand they have a better prep than the gallon of draino they used 5 years ago, thank goodness. Getting the last quart of that stuff down was the worst part of the whole deal.. anyways off to getting these items scheduled.

Thx again for the timely PSA Dos.

 

I have had two melanomas cut off of me, about a month apart actually. It's almost been 5 years ago now. Catching it early is the key. My advise to everyone: If you have a weird mole/spot, don't procrastinate, go get seen.

 

I knew a guy, surfed whole short life, shaped own board. Died of melanoma of the eye. Wear sunglasses buoys, rash guards and good unexpired sunscreen on all exposed skin at least every hour.

See a board certified derm at least once a year. Not a PCP. UNLESS you also see a gynecologist for an eye problem.

 

I knew one guy who got full on skin cancer... he died. A weird mole looking thing appeared on his toe... turned out to be cancer. They amputated his toe, but it had already spread. He did fairly quickly, but it was ugly in the end.

I know if you get it early, treatment is about 100% effective. Early detection has saved my life, for sure.

 

wow that's fukin scary I didn't even know that was possible.melanoma in the eye.i always keep shades on except for when I'm in the water and my eyes are usually squinted.

when I was younger I used to never get sunburn and would never wear sunscreen.now that I'm older I get burnt up asap if I don't have sunscreen.i have to wear long sleeves and regular pants for my occupation so my bodies always covered,but if I go to the beach and sit in the sand for an hour I will leave sunburnt.

 

Yes, it was pretty awful. And instructive.
I always wear my SeaSpecs. You get used to them.
One of my crew got sunburn on cornea. That was instructive too.

If you leave burnt you're playing Russian Roulette. Betty says....

 

#ghostfacerashguardalways

 

I wear sunscreen every time I surf, even in the Winter. Occasionally I'll make exceptions, like when I go to surf an hour before sunset or something. If I'm surfing for hours, I bring sunscreen with me, so I can re-apply it if I'm out there for 4 or 5 hours.

 

I never wear sunscreen. I'm always in a full suit though. So most of my body is covered. But with my job im outside allot. Face and arms are constantly exposed. I'm only 27. But i really should start getting annual checks. Just to be safe. It's only a matter of time before I'm getting things frozen or cut off

 

I also always wear a full suit...but also put on "UV Natural" sunblock on exposed areas (those ausies have learned a thing or two) and my prescription contact lenses have something like 98% UVA/UBV block (I always surf with them in).

Other than that, my skin is super white (and blue eyes, if that matters...mine seem extra sensitive to bright sun). I avoid going outside between 11am and 3pm....and, even then, alwyas wear a wide brimmed hat and full UV sunglasses.

Back in the 70s, few bothered with sunscreen and although I never used the sun-amplifying oils popular at the time, I still got extremely sunburned many times. Have had a bunch of questionable areas for decades...one small "mole" on my lower lip (common on surfers) and a flaky patch on the underside of my nose/nostril (annoying because it looks like a never ending booger)...probably because I used to frequently miss putting sunscreen there, then the reflection up from the water and white surfboard.

 

It is not beyond the realm of possibility that one could see a gynecologist for an eye problem. Like after a game of Twister.

I agree, though, highly unlikely.

Y'all are some insured somebodies up in here.

Am I the only person who hasn't had any medical insurance for at least the past 5 years?

I feel lonely.

And lucky that I ain't been took out by this crazy stuff, yet (?)

 

Go see a derm.
Contacts don't cover the whites of the eyes, right?