4 years and counting
I could not wait to turn 16 so that I could drive myself to the neighborhood salon and jump into the tanning bed. It was not that I had turned 16 and had a car to drive there, I could have as easily walked, it was the law that I was now 16 and I did not have to have permission from my parents to tan. Yes, I am aware of the high aspirations I had at 16 years of age.
I was a minor in the state of Illinois but at that time you only had to be 14 years to tan. The law stated that minors ages 14 to 16 could tan in a tanning bed with the consent of a parent/legal guardian.
It was not until 2014 that the tanning legislation in Illinois changed and the new age to legally tan is 18. (aimatmelanoma.org)
I continued to tan in the tanning beds off and on through high school and then became addicted to it. Please do not take that statement as any kind of sarcasm or an exaggeration on addiction by any means. I would pay $29.99 a month and have unlimited visits to tan. It would be my zen time to get away from everything. The smell of my tanning lotion mixing with my hot skin gave me comfort. I would tan for vacations and then I just tanned because it was winter and I didn't want to be pale. It made me feel better.
Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer. The main types of skin cancer are squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, and melanoma. Melanoma is much less common than the other types but much more likely to invade nearby tissue and spread to other parts of the body. (Cancer.gov)
Dear 16 year old me (click link to watch video)
The last time I was in a tanning bed was 2008, but by then, it was too late. The damage had already been done. I would not know the extent of any of it until 6 years later. Turns out that our skin is like an elephant and it never forgets. (Cancer & Health: Dr. W. Gifford)
Truth was, I didn't care.
The worst came when I was in my 20's and I had run to the tanning bed during my lunch break from work. I chose a bed, slathered my body with lotion, and hit the bed. I set the clock for 5 minutes because I had not tanned in a while, and closed my eyes for a quick nap. I fell asleep and to my luck, the timer stuck and I ended up in there for 20 minutes. The bed did have a safety shut off feature, thank goodness, but 20 minutes for someone who had not been in a tanning bed for a few weeks, well, it was bad. I was toasty. The adjective toasty is putting it very mildly!
So what is Melanoma?
It is a type of cancer, most often of the skin. It occurs in melanocytes, the cells that color the skin and make moles/nevi. In 2018, over 178,000 Americans are expected to be diagnosed with melanoma.
The classifications are:
1. Cutaneous, which occurs on the skin
2. Mucosal (rare form), occurs in the nasal passages, throat, vagina, anus or mouth
3. Ocular, occurs in the eye
Metastatic, not a type of melanoma but a term used for melanoma that has spread beyond the original site to the lymph nodes or to distant organs. (aimatmelanoma.org)
Research suggests that nearly 90% of melanomas are caused by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) exposure. Protecting your skin from UV radiation, like the sun and tanning beds and performing monthly skin checks can help save your life. (aimatmelanoma.org)
I don't tell you all of this to make you afraid of the sun or freak you out if you have ever been in a tanning bed. I have to honestly admit that no doctor ever came right out and said to me that my cancer was from the UV exposure, but 9 times out of 10, it was.
(Individuals who have used tanning beds 10 or more times in their lives have a 34% increased risk of developing melanoma compared with those who have never used tanning beds. People who first use a tanning bed before age 35 increase their risk for melanoma by 75% (Skincancerfoundation.com)
It is all said to make you think. It is all said in the hopes of protecting ourselves from something that can cause non repairable damage.
Where does that leave me?
It has left me recently hitting the 4 year mark of first being diagnosed. It has left me with having to hear the words "you have cancer", that I can still hear echo in my mind in the darkest of nights.
It has left me with 8 scars from 8 surgeries.
It has left me with 6 month visits to my dermatologist, oncologist, PET scans, and the dread that comes every time I find a new "spot" that has popped up.
It has left me different; emotionally, physically & spiritually.
I do hold a lot of regret but Katie recently told me that there is no use in having regrets. We made those choices and there is no turning back.
so, that is where I am. Trying to let myself move past the regrets and move on for a future that is bright but wearing sunblock for protection!
:You can buy Sun Bum products at Target & Ulta. They are one of the best out there for coverage
I was a minor in the state of Illinois but at that time you only had to be 14 years to tan. The law stated that minors ages 14 to 16 could tan in a tanning bed with the consent of a parent/legal guardian.
It was not until 2014 that the tanning legislation in Illinois changed and the new age to legally tan is 18. (aimatmelanoma.org)
I continued to tan in the tanning beds off and on through high school and then became addicted to it. Please do not take that statement as any kind of sarcasm or an exaggeration on addiction by any means. I would pay $29.99 a month and have unlimited visits to tan. It would be my zen time to get away from everything. The smell of my tanning lotion mixing with my hot skin gave me comfort. I would tan for vacations and then I just tanned because it was winter and I didn't want to be pale. It made me feel better.
Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer. The main types of skin cancer are squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, and melanoma. Melanoma is much less common than the other types but much more likely to invade nearby tissue and spread to other parts of the body. (Cancer.gov)
Dear 16 year old me (click link to watch video)
The last time I was in a tanning bed was 2008, but by then, it was too late. The damage had already been done. I would not know the extent of any of it until 6 years later. Turns out that our skin is like an elephant and it never forgets. (Cancer & Health: Dr. W. Gifford)
The tanning beds were not the extent of my exposure. As much as I would like to solely blame the beds for my cancer, there was so much more.
The early teenage years of laying out in the sun for hours, with my body drenched in baby oil and never any sunblock, gave me moles & freckles. I would burn on occasion, but I didn't care, because it would tan after several days. Sunblock should have always been on my list, but it NEVER was.Truth was, I didn't care.
The worst came when I was in my 20's and I had run to the tanning bed during my lunch break from work. I chose a bed, slathered my body with lotion, and hit the bed. I set the clock for 5 minutes because I had not tanned in a while, and closed my eyes for a quick nap. I fell asleep and to my luck, the timer stuck and I ended up in there for 20 minutes. The bed did have a safety shut off feature, thank goodness, but 20 minutes for someone who had not been in a tanning bed for a few weeks, well, it was bad. I was toasty. The adjective toasty is putting it very mildly!
So what is Melanoma?
It is a type of cancer, most often of the skin. It occurs in melanocytes, the cells that color the skin and make moles/nevi. In 2018, over 178,000 Americans are expected to be diagnosed with melanoma. The classifications are:
1. Cutaneous, which occurs on the skin
2. Mucosal (rare form), occurs in the nasal passages, throat, vagina, anus or mouth
3. Ocular, occurs in the eye
Metastatic, not a type of melanoma but a term used for melanoma that has spread beyond the original site to the lymph nodes or to distant organs. (aimatmelanoma.org)
Research suggests that nearly 90% of melanomas are caused by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) exposure. Protecting your skin from UV radiation, like the sun and tanning beds and performing monthly skin checks can help save your life. (aimatmelanoma.org)
I don't tell you all of this to make you afraid of the sun or freak you out if you have ever been in a tanning bed. I have to honestly admit that no doctor ever came right out and said to me that my cancer was from the UV exposure, but 9 times out of 10, it was.
(Individuals who have used tanning beds 10 or more times in their lives have a 34% increased risk of developing melanoma compared with those who have never used tanning beds. People who first use a tanning bed before age 35 increase their risk for melanoma by 75% (Skincancerfoundation.com) It is all said to make you think. It is all said in the hopes of protecting ourselves from something that can cause non repairable damage.
Where does that leave me?
It has left me recently hitting the 4 year mark of first being diagnosed. It has left me with having to hear the words "you have cancer", that I can still hear echo in my mind in the darkest of nights.
It has left me with 8 scars from 8 surgeries.
It has left me with 6 month visits to my dermatologist, oncologist, PET scans, and the dread that comes every time I find a new "spot" that has popped up.
It has left me different; emotionally, physically & spiritually.
I do hold a lot of regret but Katie recently told me that there is no use in having regrets. We made those choices and there is no turning back.
so, that is where I am. Trying to let myself move past the regrets and move on for a future that is bright but wearing sunblock for protection!
:You can buy Sun Bum products at Target & Ulta. They are one of the best out there for coverage
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