Skin Cancer is something we all need to worry about...

UPDATE:  I can't believe this post was six years ago.  I've had many more surgeries since this post, and I will update with more pictures at the bottom.  Please read to the end.

 Though I have enjoyed the cold weather, this winter wore on me in other ways...mostly health-wise. Recently I had surgery to remove more skin cancer from my face. I cannot type it loud enough...PROTECT YOURSELF FROM THE SUN AT ALL TIMES! *please*

I know a golden tan looks good and makes us feel good, but really...at what price? Is it worth it to have your face hacked? Have you ever really stopped to think about it, seriously?

My doctors don't know how I got skin cancer. They can't tell if it's from when I was little and I got burned or from weekends of exposure during beach volleyball tournaments in high school. They don't know if it was from when I tanned in college. In fact, they don't really care. I simply have had too much dangerous exposure to the sun. The crazy thing is, I consider myself having had average sun exposure in my lifetime.

My point is, you cannot pick and choose "safe" sun exposure It does not exist. You cannot say, "oh I will just sit in the sun for one hour, or 30 minutes". That is like saying, "Oh I'll just expose myself to a little bit of carbon monoxide, or I'll just smoke ultra-light cigarettes. Exposure in any amount is bad for your health.

What you can do is protect yourself to the best of your ability, every time you are out in the sun.
This means you must apply 30+ SPF sunblock every hour, and try to avoid prolonged exposure between 10am and 2pm. Wear hats to protect your face and ears. Use moisturizers that contain spf protection.
Skin cancer strikes all skin types and colors. You are wrong if you think otherwise.

Here are some pictures from a few of my surgeries over the past 9 months.
The first picture is an example of how small this skin cancer looks on the surface...something you may not take seriously, or not notice at all. You'll see though, it was more than just a little spot they scraped away or chemically treated. This was basal cell carcinoma. The most common and simple form of skin cancer...and it has destroyed areas of my face.




Below is the prep work done before surgery, including dozens of needle pokes, and scraping the surface where they "think" the damaged area starts.



Below is after the doctor successfully completes a MOHS procedure, to make sure all the skin cancer is removed.



This is what I looked like after leaving the hospital, once my plastic surgeon closed the area.
In the O.R. it isn't just happy gas and a few quick stitches...
This is general anesthesia and intubation each time. So not only do I feel pain here, I'm sick from anesthesia and the drug they used to yank me from my deep sleep. Oh and my throat feels great after having a tube forced down it. Again my point is, it's not worth a tan.



Below is squamous cell carcinoma removed in May 08. You can see the amazing job the plastic surgeon did, in the picture above...the scar between my eyebrows was supposed to be a skin graft. I am very lucky my surgeon is a gifted man and was able to close this impossible mess without one.




Below is another area of squamous cell skin cancer on my chest, removed nearly 2 years ago.
This procedure was done by a dermatologist who did not properly close the excision, and this was a non-healing wound. Several week later it opened up again, and ultimately I ended up in surgery. I don't have a recent picture of my scar, but it is a very wide, purple looking keloid.

If you have suspicious areas on your skin, do NOT put off an evaluation by a dermatologist. This is the worst thing you can do! And with all due respect to family doctors, please get a referral to a dermatologist for your evaluation, as they are the only professionals truly able to properly diagnose skin cancer.

So this is my PSA. Please protect yourself from the sun.

Thank you for reading.

Pass it on!

UPDATED pictures from surgery June 2015