scalp cancer

sorry to hear that mate...keep your chin up and thanks for the tip.

 

Hey brother, I wouldn't call that being a dork! Good luck to ya!!

 

yea man i'll wear a sick cap every once in awhile...

 

well

First off, congrats on successful op. That's some heavy $h!t.

Secondly, I read an article in an Aussie surf mag a while back that reviewed tactics for getting lots of waves. Among the strategies was wearing a bathing cap. People get confused, maybe a little spooked/creeped, and most keep their distance. Bingo, you and a few non-lame people get lots of waves.

 

If you really want to confuse people, wear a full on Ninja mask.

Actually, I'll rock a full brim hat with a drawstring once in a while in the summer if it's really hot. Keeps my head cool. Surprisingly it doesn't bother me much at all.

 

Wow... good luck, brother. I feel you... Coincidentally, I had a dermatologist appointment yesterday afternoon (yes... I missed the swell). This time only 7 pre-cancers! I go every 6 months 'cause my Irish a$$ burns under a full moon. I do rub the 50 into my scalp, through my hair. Thanks for the wake-up call.

 

In the last several years whenever I travel toward the equator I shave the mellon to so I can get the spfs right on the scalp. I just had some skin taken off my temple. This might pinch, really doc I'd hate to see day when it going to hurt..

 

My pops had the same issue on his head and ear. He wears a swimming cap now when in the water. The caps all good..just goes to show you put your time in over the years.

 

good luck...i'm clean so far and get my annual check, but just a matter of time - i remember when i was a kid, before SPF meant anything, my nose and cheeks crisping up every summer to the point of peeling and bleeding...

 

im part irish and i get as tan as a mexican (not being racist).

 

Sorry for your ordeal, it sounds like melanoma? I know a woman who's a beach bum noticed some skin discolorations at her scalp line that was diagnosed as melanoma, Surprisingly it will show where you don't also notice it and it has no age discrimination either. She was wise to have it checked out like yourself rather than most just not seek any professional medical attention.

I don't mean to take anything away other than to add more to your post. Cancer is just horrible and stricken a close friend who's an avid aging surfer who was reluctant at first not to seek diagnoses when he had some medical issues. He now preaches others his age the benefits of a colonoscopy which although now saved his live but at the time the chances of surviving were in doubt. The Doctors told him they didn't want him or felt he be able to surf again so he sold his quiver. He wrestled with the radiation and two chemo treatments to avoid life altering operation but unsuccessful reducing the cancer. Surfing and other activities were his passion and facing the fact of not being able to further enjoy the line up was horrible thought to him not to live life the way he wanted too. The team of Doctor's told him if he didn't have the operation he be dead in less than 2 years and it a horrible death too. Sometimes life does not give you best of choices so he went ahead with the operation that would end his surfing. He spent 8 grulling hours on the table removing the cancer, they removed half his 6 pack to replace the muscle in his lower rectum re-routed his intestines to the other side of his 6-pack for an ostomy bag. He just hated the idea of wearing and crapping in a bag attached to his waist. We felt so bad for him to have to fulfill his life with these altering conditions. The recovery period was painful, he couldn't walk too well nor bend over to even pick up his shoes. Now I know he was determine even after further chemo treatments and monitoring he passed the 1st year without any further evidence of cancer. He missed a whole year on the sand but the second year he just couldn't deal with it so was able to 'sponge" some against Doctors orders. I have been inspired, its been 3 years for him, he started his own physical therapy program and to the enlightenment of the Doctors they have blessed him without stomach muscles to surf again but not over do it. He told me I can't do as well as I used to but able to hang out in the water with you guys and catch a few good rides its been worth it. The bunch of us and our wifes one day just had tears in our eyes watching him out there in the lineup waving to us. He always commented surfing has been the best thing I ever done for himself and I think it saved his life too. When you walked and paddled with a close surfing friend whos' experience these life altering events it really gives you a whole new outlook on life so surf hard because you never know what's around the corner.

 

You must be one of them "black Irish" (I'm not being racist either)

 

Yambo, best wishes, I hope it was a very successful procedure. Hopefully this will serve notice to others not to take chances.

 

i mean im white and what not or thats what my license says and what i put on tests for when they ask for your race. but im part irish and i get SO tan. its weird.

 

I'm irish and german....and I fry like a slab of bacon, you are lucky as hell dude to be irish and tan, I wish i could tan...so being a whitey, I've tried several different waterproof sunblocks, 98% of them wash right the hell off and i ended up coming out of the water looking like a damn lobster...but I found the best stuff, it's called Waterman's, I use the 50+ and that **** don't come off...sorry to hear about your scalp cancer, glad the procedure went well, I always rub that stuff on my head and usually end up having it all in my hair. I realize with my complexion I'm probably going to be in your shoes one day, thanks for the heads up...it took me a long time and a lot of burns to realize how important protecting your skin from the sun is.

 

i use watermans when its the first summer swell i use their lowest spf though and it does work magic, plus it doesnt leave a slippery grip on your hands. plus i use their chapstick and that stuff works magic for the lips. cuz i hate it when my lips are dry and chapped from a day of surfing or lifeguarding and i go to kiss a girl and it doesnt feel right.

 

yeah, i use their chapstick too...i hear ya, burned lips hurts...i came back from a week in Maui and my lips were black!!!

 

last summer i spent a whole week about 40 hours of lifeguarding and totally didnt use their chapstick and man when i got home (cuz i lifeguard at a church camp that is a week long) they were so burnt i had to go to the doctor and they gave me some special stuff and had to fill out a note to my boss for a few days absence just to get me out of the sun for my lips to heal.

 

glad you're back to health there man. i've never had problems with my scalp, but i still got plenty of hair. i make sure to always use sun screen at least on sunny days. i'll even put it on my face in the winter. as much as i surf i have to credit using sunscreen to not exposing my age to most people. my dad, and his brother both never used sunscreen, and they both had really youthful looks, but they both had so much sun damage, and deep crows feet on their faces it was ridiculous. they lucked out on skin cancer, but my dad didn't make it more than a year past 55, and my uncle died on his 47th birthday. none of the males on that side have lived to be very old, but thats a different story. so i'm real good about using lotion. i do tan as good as those assholes on jersey shore, but don't get burned much, because of the lotion.