Sun Worshippers

Today I had my twice yearly "body check" by my dermatologist. It's always traumatic and I never fail to hurt somewhere when I come home. If there hasn't been something burned off, then there has been something cut out and off. It's depressing. I find myself looking in the mirror every morning only to find another "thing" has popped up overnight. A few weeks ago it was a "thing" on my left cheek. My face is the worst. Today I had two places burned off on my face and I could have had several more, but, since they aren't "dangerous" I decided not to. My head hurt too much from the two done. Today was a total of only eight. Usually it's in the "teens". I also had a sun reaction on the back of my arms this time. That's a new one. I had several dresses ruined last year from the reaction of sunscreen chemicals with fabrics and iron in our water. So, my doctor gave me a few samples of a good old zinc oxide lotion that probably won't stain anything. I received the expected lecture on my face (I wear 50 spf) and on my arms (admittedly uncovered). She complimented me on my legs now a dead shade of white because they are always covered. From just 3 days of wearing sandals I have the beginnings of the white line, though, so I need to be more conscious of that. Why all this? Well, I am a prime candidate for melanoma. Melanoma kills people. It's one of the most dangerous forms of cancer. And if you have EVER been in a suntanning bed your chances of melanoma soar. If you have ever gotten a sunburn that blistered, your chances increase there also. If you are of northern European descent, with fair skin and blue eyes, then your chances increase again. So, since I've done everything I could to increase my chances, I visit the dermatologist regularly. So far I've had basal and squamous cell carcinomas that have been removed, but I've thus far been blessed not to have the dreaded melanoma. I keep praying I never do. Yet, a summer never comes that I don't wish for tanned legs and body. Being pasty white just doesn't seem "right" to me. I am to wear big, floppy hats, long sleeves and all the rest, but I HATE IT. Today in my "funk", I recalled my grandmother (who died when I was ten) telling me that only the less thans allowed their skins to be exposed to the sun. She worked out in the garden with long sleeves and a big old slatted bonnet. She was always commenting on my shorts and halters that I ran around in in the summer. I imagine she would have flipped if she'd lived to see me in my bikinis during my high school years sunbathing with baby oil and vinegar. I wonder what she would have thought of my many sunburns that resulted in blisters; sometimes as big as quarters? Because if you burn once, then you tan. I remember when I was sixteen or so I had spent the day at Old Hickory pool and had a date for the movies that night. I came home and showered and I well remember thinking I would die!! I put on a red peasant blouse and some shorts. I well remember being unable to wear a bra because it hurt too much. It wasn't too noticeable considering I weighed about 95 pounds. In the movies my date put his arm around me and I screamed because it hurt so bad to touch my shoulders. That is the kind of summer life I lived for many years. But, there is always pay day, some day and I am paying now. In reading the history of sunbathing I found that women didn't really start exposing their skin to the sun until the 1900s and it was considered in bad taste to do so until the 50s. So we have about 70 years of sun exposure that has been dangerous all along. So today I'm looking at stuff to wash my clothing in to to give it a high SPF (most shirts have an SPF of 5), hats that protect and all that stuff. I've told many young women to stay out of the tanning beds, but few are listening until they get to be my age. But the realities are frightening... The average American's risk of developing melanoma in his or her lifetime increased from one in 1,500 in 1930, to one in 250 in 1980 and one in 74 in 2000. That is significant to notice and many studies are indicating that tanning beds have a great deal to do with that increase from 1980 to 2000. MTV has been heavily criticized for the show Jersey Shore for it's glamorizing tanning beds. Tanning beds are the most dangerous things you can use, yet few people going on cruises or an early beach trip don't use them. So why this blog? Well, I'm sitting here with a headache from liquid nitrogen used to burn off sun damage on my scalp. I'm sitting here with loose clothing on because of the same burns on my shoulder, chest, leg and cheek. All because I don't want to develop one of the most difficult cancers to cure if it's found after Stage 1. So, I wrote this because it's heavily on my mind and because if just ONE person uses 30 spf sunscreen on their face and body or covers their bodies with more clothing because of this blog, then it's worth it. Don't sunbath. Don't get sunburned.