This summer, I learnt a bit about melanoma.
Its a bit of a 'hot topic' here DownUnder.
It is seriously nasty stuff.
I didn't know how something so small in the skin could actually kill - by spreading via the lymphatic system to soft tissue organs.
It can spread quickly and its kind of resistant to Chemo
And if it spreads the survival rates are truly scary
If you spot something suspicious, get it checked out and quickly.
Caught in the early stages it is easy to deal with
You can't afford the 'Kiwi, She'll be right' attitude
I attended the funeral just after Xmas for a 55-year old cousin whose death resulted from the aftermath of melanoma on a toe. I'm guessing he sunburned his toes a lot when spending much of his free fime boating.
I'm guessing he sunburned his toes a lot when spending much of his free fime boating.
While I believe there's a solid correlation between sun exposure and melanoma, I'm not sure there's a particularly strong connection between the location of sun exposure and the location of the lesion. It can show up anywhere, including areas that never see the sun.
It can start anywhere - but is more likely on sun-damaged skin - even if years ago
northernsurveyor, whom I haven't seen around here in a while, had a battle going with it. Several old threads on the subject like this one
https://rpls.com/forums/chit-chat/skin-cancer/#post-519261
I recall he expressed how the doctor explained that it's a bit like a dandelion when the seeds get set free by the wind and it can quickly go anywhere and everywhere. That visual really stuck with me for some reason.
Just because I'm paranoid, doesn't mean they aren't out to get me.
northernsurveyor, whom I haven't seen around here in a while, had a battle going with it. Several old threads on the subject like this one
https://rpls.com/forums/chit-chat/skin-cancer/#post-519261
I recall he expressed how the doctor explained that it's a bit like a dandelion when the seeds get set free by the wind and it can quickly go anywhere and everywhere. That visual really stuck with me for some reason.
Scary stuff
it's a bit like a dandelion when the seeds get set free by the wind and it can quickly go anywhere and everywhere.
That's a great description, but its a blooming vampire with very sharp teeth
I am a melanoma survivor. God must have something left for me to do. A few years ago I jumped off a headwall to get the invert and hyperextended my knee. I was sent to get an MRI to check for damage. When the technician turned on the machine I heard him YELL STOP. As a child (60+ years ago) I was accidentally shot in the face with a BB gun. No big deal, but the BB stayed in my face for 50 or so years. When he turned on the machine, the steel in the BB started to move and he had to stop. Then I had to go to a Dermatologist to have the BB removed so I could get the MRI. When he removed the BB the Dermatologist stopped and looked at my temple. This doesn't look right he said and removed a mole. Stage 1A melanoma, less than 1 mm deep. Without a hyperextended knee and a BB in my face there is no telling how long it would have been before it was noticed, or if it would have been treatable.
I said all that to say this. Surveyors spend so much time in the sun that we need to take all the precautions that we can. Sleeves, a hat, sunscreen, etc.
Andy
Sounds like healthcare as Rube Goldberg would have imagined it.
I had MOHs surgery on a squamous cell carcinoma several years ago. The surgeon did his own lab work, so I was in and out in about an hour. During our conversation, he said that this tumor was caused by sun exposure 30± years earlier. Back then I spent a lot of time on the water wearing only shorts. Now watching a spot on my arm.....
Now watching a spot on my arm.....
Dont Watch, Dont Wait, Do Something!
You do not have the luxury of time