Weeks

Well, it's been a bit, again, since I've written. I have become the blogger that never writes. Or updates every few weeks, not days...

I wrote that I've been substitute teaching. The last three weeks I've done at least four of five days. I have ranged from the littlest kindergarteners to the fifth graders who are taller than I am. For those readers who know me, you know they don't have to be super tall to do so. :) I did not sub at all last week, which turned out to be good... read on.

I had a mole removed some time ago, December I think. It was a minor thing; no stitches or anything. Well, the biopsy came back that it was pre-pre cancerous. If the remaining cells, left from the previous surgery, are not removed, twenty percent of people have them turn cancerous. So, I went Tuesday to have these cells removed. It was supposed to be no big deal, twenty minutes and a couple stitches and I'm out...well, what it "supposed to happen" and "what actually happens" are two different things. If you put your finger on your temple, the mole was a bit above that. They give me four or five local anesthesia shots and they begin. They get partway through and realize the skin they were going to tug the incision closed with is too close to my eyebrow. It would've given me a minifacelift, so to speak, and leave the side of my eyebrow closest to the hair sticking up and looking distorted. So, they work a bit more, and tug from the other side. This leaves skin lacking hair in the hairline...requiring a mini hair transplant... Well, after an hour the surgery was complete. A 1/4 inch mole turned into a 4 inch by 2 inch incision and 9 outer stitches, I'm not sure how many internal ones. What a crazy thing. And now I must return to the dermatologist to have the stitches removed next week, and then every 6 months after that, as my risk has improved. So, no more gardener's tan, or runner's tan...here come the spf 50+ and hats.

I have moved into a "jounalling" vein, instead of the informative vein that I had adopted as of late, so here is some information on skin cancer... I got this info from http://www.skincancer.org/prevention/index.php

Here are tips on preventing skin cancer...
Sun Safety
Protect Yourself and Your Family All Year Round

1. Seek the shade, especially during the sun's peak hours (10:00am-4:00pm)
2. Wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher.
3. Cover up with clothing, especially a broad-brimmed hat and UV-blocking sunglasses.
4. Avoid tanning parlors and artificial tanning devices.
5. Get vitamin D safely through a healthy diet that includes vitamin supplements.
6. Keep newborns out of the sun. Sunscreens can be used on babies over the age of six months.
7. Teach children good sun-protective practices.
8. Examine your skin from head to toe once every month.
9. Have a professional examination annually.
10. Avoid tanning and especially -- do not burn! One blistering sunburn doubles your risk of melanoma.

Do You Know�?

• Year-round sun protection is important
• The sun's harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation can penetrate many types of clothes?
• It can also go through automobile and residential windows?
• It can damage your eyes, contributing to cataracts, macular degeneration, and eyelid cancers?
• When you're on snow or ice, your face and eyes are at almost twice the risk of UV damage because of reflected glare?

Recently, to combat these hidden dangers, The Skin Cancer Foundation expanded its Seal of Recommendation program. For more than two decades, the Foundation has granted the Seal to products containing SPF 15+ sunscreen that meet the highest standards for safety and effectiveness. Now, in recognition of the need for extra forms of sun protection, several other types of products have been awarded the Seal as well, including . . .

• a UV- protective automobile window film
• a UV-protective residential window film
• a UV-blocking face mask
• a laundry product that can be added to detergent to increase UV protection in clothing
• sunglasses that protect against UV and high-energy visible light

More than 200 products in the United States and some 20 abroad currently have qualified for the Seal. For a list of these products, call 1-800-SKIN-490, or send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to:

The Skin Cancer Foundation
245 Fifth Avenue
Suite 1403
New York, NY 10016