OT; Melanoma and Dermatology

[Song80s]

I have a 0 millimeter melanoma on my arm. My dermatologist biopsied the dime sized skin discoloration last week. Lab test said its a melanoma.

 

Sometimes, the biopsy removes the cancer from your skin layer. This time I need more surgery on that spot , by a oncologist.

 

Some of you are saying,, 'dermatology ' what ? Huh ?

 

If you have a funny looking mole , skin tag, etc etc anywhere on the body, it needs to be examined by a dermatologist.

 

A general practitioner is not the person to determine a potential melanoma.

 

Anyway, I am 66 and vigilant about health. Its not enough to feel good and be in shape. Not shy about asking for tests at Kaiser. Also believe that I can't totally depend on anyone else to take care of me or tell me what to do on health.

 

I have acquaintances that dislike doctors , hospitals, are too busy, have a nonchalant attitude [ 'when my # is up, etc] . IOW, they never see a doctor regularly and think the emergency room will be the answer.

 

Suggesting that early prevention is a good strategy. My goal is to have a quality life thru my 80's and possibly further.

 

Things start to happen in your 60's and its best to be aggressive on health. I see lots of folks in the 70's breaking down physically and going thru lots of painful surgery.

 

I don't want to be that person or be nonchalant about seeking regular medical care.

[Adan]

I'm what they call a "melanoma maker." I've had 3 removed, scheduled to have the 4th removed in a couple weeks. Once you know you're a melanoma maker, you just have to stay on top of it. You'll have regular skin checks by a dermatologist the rest of your life, and they'll biopsy anything that looks suspicious. The surgery to remove a melanoma, even a 0 mm one, is very minor but the healing process is quite annoying, as they take out a large swath of skin then sew the edges together, making for a rather fragile wound that has to be babied for about a month.

 

As a child I spent a lot of time in the South Pacific and Hawaii. This was in the 60's when no one was wearing sunscreen. So my problems were "baked in" at an early age.

 

I'm now super careful about sun exposure. Covering up, wearing hats, and applying sunscreen all the time is a drag, but it's better than the alternative.

[Outkaster]

I had some nose cancer. It was scarry. It was removed and most of my nose tip is intact. Greg it's good you are on top of it.

[jjo]

I had another form of cancer many years ago, and after that read up on what I could do. I found that there are three types of cancer you can either avoid or catch early: colon cancer (colonoscopies), prostate cancer (PSA testing, a bit controversial) and skin cancer (seeing a dermatologist). Of these, you don't see too much on recommending that you see a dermatologist regularly, but I can't see any logical reason not to. It's quick and painless, and skin cancers caught early are almost always no problem.

[Dave Ferris]

Running in the SoCal sun, even though I'm rarely out after 10AM, I've had multiple basal cell sections cut off me.

 

One on each shoulder , from wearing a singlet for many years. Always wear a shirt now. One on my nose, both cheeks, on my neck. And now I can feel the skin being thin up on my right temple, right above where the sunglasses stop. I need to go to my dermatologist and have him look at it.

 

Chances are, he's going to say - "just use the Carac cream there". The last three places where something looked suspicious, that was the route he recommended and it disappeared. The stuff is amazing !

 

The sun in Ca., especially SoCal is way more intense then the Midwest, where I grew up. Even though I never work out in the middle of the day, it's an accumulative effect over 40 years, even from the early morning hours.

 

Get Checked ! It's nothing to fool around with, just like the colon and prostate.. Especially as we age and have more hours exposed to the sun. I've had two close friends- both avid runners- die from melanoma.

[Song80s]

I'm what they call a "melanoma maker." I've had 3 removed, scheduled to have the 4th removed in a couple weeks. Once you know you're a melanoma maker, you just have to stay on top of it. You'll have regular skin checks by a dermatologist the rest of your life, and they'll biopsy anything that looks suspicious. The surgery to remove a melanoma, even a 0 mm one, is very minor but the healing process is quite annoying, as they take out a large swath of skin then sew the edges together, making for a rather fragile wound that has to be babied for about a month.

 

As a child I spent a lot of time in the South Pacific and Hawaii. This was in the 60's when no one was wearing sunscreen. So my problems were "baked in" at an early age.

 

I'm now super careful about sun exposure. Covering up, wearing hats, and applying sunscreen all the time is a drag, but it's better than the alternative.

 

well dam, that is more than annoying. 4 for 4.

 

Guess you are late 50's- so you have decades of intense sun, given you lived in CA for some time.

 

I am fair skinned and windsurfed the Bay for some +20 years so I could have blasted my fair skin. really not easy to identify a tipping point of conditions creating melanomas. Living in CA for a long time and being outdoorsy is going to contribute.

 

Yes, like you, I got the sunscreen religion. I now immerse myself in the stuff every day, clouds or not.

 

If you have a dark sense of humor, you can use MnM as a gig name.

[Song80s]

I had some nose cancer. It was scarry. It was removed and most of my nose tip is intact. Greg it's good you are on top of it.

 

Thank you, brother. I have my incision scheduled next Monday. Git 'er done is my motto.

[Song80s]

and skin cancer (seeing a dermatologist).

 

Of these, you don't see too much on recommending that you see a dermatologist regularly, but I can't see any logical reason not to. It's quick and painless, and skin cancers caught early are almost always no problem.

 

I think us warmer sunny states might be more conducive to skin cancer. Even so, when I had my first biopsy 3 yrs ago, I got on the Dermatologist train.

 

you are absolutely correct- catching the pre cancerous melanoma is the key. Much easier if the little Basta%$ are not having a party in your flesh , and blood stream. Once they get inside, its cancer cell time. It is serious stuff.

 

It sounds like a dermatologist visit is standard every 2 years. I am now on the 6 month plan since I have history.

[Tom Fiala]

Glad that you found the melanoma when it was still at an early stage, Greg. Hopefully, it will be excised with clear, cancer-free margins, and you can have it closed directly (or with a small flap), rather than needing a skin graft.

Good luck with the procedure. Larger ones, or difficult areas may need the help of a plastic surgeon.

 

Anyone who is melanoma prone should get a head-to-toe skin examination by a dermatologist once or twice a year.

 

 

[Song80s]

Running in the SoCal sun, even though I'm rarely out after 10AM, I've multiple basal cell sections cut off me.

 

One on each shoulder , from wearing a singlet for many years. Always wear a shirt now. One on my nose, both cheeks, on my neck. And now I can feel the skin being thin up on my right temple, right above where the sunglasses stop. I need to go to my dermatologist and have him look at it.

 

Chances are, he's going to say - "just use the Carac cream there". The last three places where something looked suspicious, that was the route he recommended and it disappeared. The stuff is amazing !

 

The sun in Ca., especially SoCal is way more intense then the Midwest, where I grew up. Even though I never work out in the middle of the day, it's an accumulative effect over 40 years, even from the early morning hours.

 

Get Checked ! It's nothing to fool around with, just like the colon and prostate.. Especially as we age and have more hours exposed to the sun. I've had two close friends- both avid runners- die from melanoma.

 

Dave, we are in the same demographic. When 2 friends die of melanoma that should be a wake up call, in case anyone is thinking Dermatologist visit.

 

I am also changing my outdoor schedule. Have lots of flexibility. I tackle yard work around 7:00 am. I will need to get my running/biking done by 10:00 am to avoid the damaging rays of our CA sun.

 

I can shift all my music stuff and mundane house chores for after 10:00 am. Discovery Bay has hot Valley weather as it is, its best to avoid the heat and sun.

 

[MotiDave]

I just had a colonoscpy today, as chance would have it. Clean bill. I see a dermatologist for screens - i too grew up in the pre-sunscreen 60s and 70s of San Diego, and grandma lived at the beach.

[Stokely]

Many of us grew up in the pre-sunscreen days. Unfortunately I was also a Florida tennis-playing and surfing kid. My nose was pretty much permanently blistered growing up, and it has issues now. I hit the dermatologist every 6 months or so, to get checked and also get the liquid nitrogen freezing treatment on various growths and sun-related things growing on my now-bald head. And it hurts like a mother

[Steve Nathan]

This is not a competition, but my melanoma was in my left eye. I'd complained of symptoms to my eye doctor and they dismissed them as simply signs of aging! A year later I chose a new eye doctor and they sent me to a macular degeneration specialist that day, who then sent me to a Retina specialist. Three trips to Philadelphia later, I was blind in that eye but cancer free. Worth the trade I'd say.

[Adan]

I see my dermatologist a few times a month. That's because she happens to live in my neighborhood. Aside from that, insurance pays for a head to toe skin check 4 times a year, and I never miss one, not to mention dropping by her office any time I see something suspicious.

 

It's just a matter of catching them early, and everyone should be on the lookout. Do some google searches and school yourself on what they look like. The people who lose their life to melanoma are most often the people who just weren't looking for it.

 

And then there's Bob Marley who, as the story is told, was diagnosed with it but refused treatment for religious reasons.

[Song80s]

This is not a competition, but my melanoma was in my left eye. I'd complained of symptoms to my eye doctor and they dismissed them as simply signs of aging! A year later I chose a new eye doctor and they sent me to a macular degeneration specialist that day, who then sent me to a Retina specialist. Three trips to Philadelphia later, I was blind in that eye but cancer free. Worth the trade I'd say.

 

that further reinforces my point of not relying on a general practitioner or optamologist/vision doc for a specialized condition such as pre melanoma or retina health.

 

GP's and vision doctors typically have 500-1000 patients. Its impractical to expect them to have specialist level of knowledge on so many complex areas.

 

I almost lost vision in my right eye 3 yrs ago. It suddenly got blurry. As it turned out, I had a branch retina vein occlusion in my eye. The eye has a 1000 tiny veins. 1 of my veins ruptured. Only a retina specialist can diagnose this and treat it. The BRVO has to be caught early or its too late. I get shots in the eye every 3 months to maintain 85% vision in that eye.

[Outkaster]

I see my dermatologist a few times a month. That's because she happens to live in my neighborhood. Aside from that, insurance pays for a head to toe skin check 4 times a year, and I never miss one, not to mention dropping by her office any time I see something suspicious.

 

It's just a matter of catching them early, and everyone should be on the lookout. Do some google searches and school yourself on what they look like. The people who lose their life to melanoma are most often the people who just weren't looking for it.

 

And then there's Bob Marley who, as the story is told, was diagnosed with it but refused treatment for religious reasons.

 

Lot of good it did him being religious. Being in Reggae as long as I have I heard different versions of the story. Basically when he found out in NYC he was jogging in central park. He collapsed and the tour manager was with him, he brushed it off like it was no big deal. It got in through his foot though. He ended up getting treatments in Germany but it was too late. Being stubborn got him no where. He did his last show in Pittsburgh and his singer Marcia Griffiths said she knew "that was the last time we'd be on stage together"

 

Danny Federici is from the east coast he got melanoma but it was misdiagnosed early on. He was fair skinned and was in the sun at the shore all day when he was younger. He might have gotten cured had it been found out sooner. Back in 1981 and 2008 even, things weren't the same. I do work with the cancer center across from the university where I work, it's heart-wrenching to hear stories about what people have to go through. New trials and research is still needed.

[Song80s]

 

It's just a matter of catching them early, and everyone should be on the lookout. Do some google searches and school yourself on what they look like. The people who lose their life to melanoma are most often the people who just weren't looking for it.

 

And then there's Bob Marley who, as the story is told, was diagnosed with it but refused treatment for religious reasons.

 

Lot of good it did him being religious.

 

That is 1 example of some folks being in denial of standard medical practice or subscribing to some internet kook theory. Parents who deny children of measles shots at the grade school level are another. They would rather buy into some crazy alternative assertion.

 

There is a 'juicing fad' going on in CA. Lots of exagerrated claims you can blast away a variety of serious conditions by overdosing on sugary fruit drinks. Some folks still believe several glasses of carrot juice daily and a positive attitude will cure cancer.

https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/soy-alert/veganthink-dr-john-mcdougall-explains-the-death-of-steve-jobs/