Sunday, April 7, 2013

365 Days of Memories Take FOUR - Day 97

2 Years...
 
 
*The scars are souvenirs you never lose,
the past is never far...*
 
2 years, 13 moles removed, seven surgeries and many scars later.
 
Melanoma has changed my life, even at Stage I with a cure rate of 99%.  I'm lucky and I won't ever, ever forget that.
 
It doesn't have to be luck though...
- Everyone should do their own skin checks every few months at least.
- Everyone should see a dermatologist once per year.
- Everyone should know the moles on their body at least enough to be able to recognize if one has rapidly changed.
- Everyone should know the ABCD's of melanoma (Asymmetry, Border, Color and Diameter).
- Everyone should know what melanoma is and what it can do... because before I was diagnosed with melanoma myself, I had no clue just how bad it really is.
 
Be aware folks - it really does save lives.
I should know, it saved my own.

 

3 comments:

Optimistic Existentialist said...

What a wonderful post. I woul dlike to share this with soem friend.

Optimistic Existentialist said...

Wow what typos! I meant "I would like to share this with some friends"

Rachel said...

Absolutely! Please do... the more people who are aware the better! I wish I'd known more about melanoma before my diagnosis!