“What am I doing here?” “What in the world do I have to offer?” “Please don’t make me say anything. I don’t have any expertise, and will sound stupid and make a fool of CMPF.”
These were the thoughts that were going through my head in early September as I sat in Washington, D.C. attending the 2019 American Academy of Dermatology Association’s Legislative Conference. My name is Pattie Day and I am a 51-year-old mom and an elementary teacher’s aide from Ilion, NY (Central NY). I am married and blessed to be the mother of three sons. I have a good education under my belt, but no letters, like RN, NP, PA, MD, PhD, etc, after my name. So why was I there?
Read more: Why Going to Capital Hill Was So Personal To Me! By Pattie Day, Guest Blogger
Read more: Is Sunscreen Safe and Effective for Your Child? by M. Maguire-Eisen RN, MSN
What it took to install a shade structure on our school grounds By Katie Labadia (Guest Blogger)
A startling lack of shade on the playground at my children’s school became a topic for discussion at the year’s first Parent-Teacher Organization meeting in September 2015, after some surrounding trees had been cut down over the summer. With a growing awareness of melanoma and skin cancer on our minds, we formed a Sun Safety Committee. I became chair.
I have been passionate about sun safety for many years, not only because I am fair-skinned but also because I lost my mother to melanoma. By taking on this cause, I was hoping to honor my mother, protect my children, and educate our beautiful seaside community about skin cancer prevention. My role evolved into my arranging a sun safety educational program, advocating for sunscreen at school, researching shade structures and fundraising.
The PTO decided that fundraising would be the best way for our school to pursue this project. I contacted the Children’s Melanoma Prevention Foundation, which agreed to provide its SunAWARE Curriculum, to help us research shade structures, and to assist in fundraising. On CMPF’s recommendation, I contacted an Australian company called Sailshades that manufactures its products in Texas. The shades were attractive, blocked UV rays, came in a variety of colors and could be easily taken down for our New England winters.
Why We Do This! Featuring Jason Ader (Corporate Sponsor) and Tori DeMaio (Advisory Council)
I grew up in North Miami Beach, Florida in the 1960s and early 1970's. I was one of those red-headed light skinned people, who wanted to be tan but only succeeded in getting more freckles. SO I added the iodine to the baby oil, slathered it on and fried like bacon for hours on the beach. That was before the days when we learned about the unhealthy consequences of too much sun exposure.
So of course, when I learned that this was harmful, I stopped those bad behaviors switching (reluctantly) to sunscreen with SPF 4 or 8. And since I live in Massachusetts now, I only used sunscreen when I was on the beach. In my more mature adult years I never really burned, but did find out that I had a significant amount of sun damaged skin. Who cares? I thought...I'm no fashion model, but I did stop spending so much time in the sun.
Fast forward to April 2017. I got a new job and they wanted me to have a TB test for my pre-employment physical. Since I already reacted to this skin test I had to have a chest X-ray instead (this has to happen every 5 years and my next one was not due until April 2019). Two days before starting work I got a call that was the beginning of big changes in my life.
The X-ray showed that something was growing on my lung. More X-rays...CT scans...MRIs...PET scans...removal of the right middle lobe of my lung (October 2017) and a surprising and perplexing diagnosis
STAGE 4 METASTATIC MELANOMA!
Read more: The Finger of God...LIVING with Metastatic Melanoma by Myra Cacace GNP-BC
Melanoma Incidence Rates in the UK and Prevention Methods by Siva Veeramani MBBS, BMed.Sci(Hons), MRCS, MBA ,FRCS (Guest Blogger)
Melanoma is the fifth most common cancer in the UK, affecting approximately 15,400 people each year. The incidence of malignant melanoma is increasing at a faster rate than any other cancer in the UK. Since the 1970’s the incidence of melanoma has quadrupled, and this trend is continuing. This is particularly worrying in men where the increase in incidence is the second fastest to grow over the past decade.
Melanoma is now the most common cancer in young adults aged between 15 to 34 years of age. In this age sub-group females have a higher incidence than males. However, these are crude statistics and there is little research on the exact etiology of melanomas in this sub-group (e.g. host factors such as ethnicity or environmental factors such as behavioural risks).
Enright Melanoma Foundation Partners to Provide Free Online Sun Safety Programs
We share the same belief as the Children’s Melanoma Prevention Foundation that education is key in the fight against skin cancer. Youth spend a significant amount of time outdoors, and with skin cancer rates dramatically increasing, it's important to teach them about good sun protection habits starting at an early age.
The Enright Melanoma Foundation, is a doctor-led, prevention-focused, non-profit organization whose mission is to raise sun safety awareness and to help prevent melanoma through education and early detection. We are transforming the way we learn about sun safety.
Our skin cancer professionals have developed free, online programs called the Enright Sun Safety Certification™ programs for ages 5 and over. The programs use the Enright Sun Safety ACE™ to guide the learner through topics. The ACE represents an important, easy to remember message: Apply Cover Enjoy™.
Read more: Enright Melanoma Foundation Partners To Teach Sun Safety
My Father’s Parting Words by Kathy Howie
My father grew up in South Boston playing and boating at the local beaches and harbor. When I was a child he took us for walks on Castle Island every Sunday. My brother developed a bone disease when he was six years old involving his hip. The doctor suggested that he swim for physical therapy and get lots of sunshine (vitamin D) so his bones would grow.
That began my dad’s obsession with exercising outside. He put in a swimming pool so my brother could swim – and of course a salt water swimming pool so we could get a really good tan in the process. As a family, we rented a cottage on a lake each summer, took weekend trips to the ocean and winter trips to the Caribbean. The goal was to be healthy and get a nice tan in the process. We never used sunscreen as it was practically unheard of in the 60s and 70s. We used baby oil to get that good tan. My mother would constantly throw us outside to “go get some sun”. They believed that a tan was a sign of good health. As my parents aged they spent their winters in Florida soaking up the rays and getting the darkest tan that was evidence of a good vacation and looking healthy.
In 2005, my father became concerned about his moles and became faithful about seeing his GP and a skin doctor. He had a few moles removed. One that was on his forehead was removed a few times but always turned out to be benign. However, it always grew back. Because it was not cancer the doctor wasn’t too pushy about having additional surgery.
After seeing a new doctor in 2011 he had the mole biopsied again and this time the diagnosis was melanoma. He then had additional surgery including removal of lymph nodes that were clear. Five years later, a spot appeared on his lower hip. Somewhere the sun had never seen and we knew it was not good. It was in fact a melanoma – a metastatic melanoma. It had spread throughout his entire body. He was dead in 3 months.
I believe the lack of knowledge that the sun’s rays can be deadly and the sun worshiping culture of my parents’ generation contributed to my father’s death. Since that diagnosis, I have changed my lifestyle but I know for me it may be too late. The damage may already have been done. My dad regretted his lack of knowledge and choices regarding the sun. One of my father’s last words to me were to “stay out of the sun and wear sunscreen”.
I remember his words and have decided to pass this warning on to a new generation. My Dad was a good man and loved mentoring others. I believe educating kids about sun safety is something my dad would be proud to be a part of. I want sun protection to become something each child does without thinking – like bike helmets and seat belts. No one deserves to have their life cut short because they didn’t know that the suns rays could cause cancer and that sunscreen could prevent it.
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