always my favorite two to photograph.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
just a couple of cute kids...
always my favorite two to photograph.
my experience with melanoma
yesterday, i saw an obituary for a 33 year old woman who died after unsuccessfully battling melanoma.
tomorrow, i have my 4th *clean* body scan (well, i hope clean) after having my own melanoma removed. i just felt it appropriate to write this and share it with everyone. my intent is to urge each one of you to go to a dermatologist and have a full body scan. also, be sure to use sun BLOCK and to never use tanning beds. they are SERIOUSLY a death trap.
when i was growing up, my mom always put sunblock on us. she didn't allow us out during the peak hours of the day. she protected my skin. when i was 16, i was a lifeguard and usually sat underneath an umbrella (it was hot!).
when i was in college, in about april, i would start going to the tanning bed to get a "base tan" - i justified it as "it is safer than getting burned in the sun" because typically in the sun, i would literally go from white to red. i never burned in the tanning bed. i would buy the month unlimited packages and go for 2 minutes and gradually and slowly move up to the 20 minutes maximum allowed time. i rarely went every day. probably 3 or 4 times max in the spring. in the summer, i often went to the beach and roasted myself but i typically used a SPF 15 sunblock on my body and a SPF 30 on my face. i would tan with that, and i didn't burn often. i knew to take it slow.
i burned some in my life, but not that often. i have lots of freckles, and i tan somewhat.
when i was 31, that was probably the last time i ever used a tanning bed.
between having kendal and getting pregnant with holly, i had a mole on my abdomen that would sometimes get irritated and bleed (it was under my bra strap). i made an appointment to get it removed. i also had a spot on my chest that would scab over and not heal. my dad had basil cell carcinoma on his nose the winter prior and i was worried i had what he had. so, i made an appointment at a dermatologist near where i worked and went in and asked her about both spots. she removed both but was unconcerned with them. turns out, the one on my chest was precancer. she recommended i come back for a "full body scan." about 4 months later, i finally got an appointment for that scan, and at that point i was pregnant with holly. she looked me over (and i mean, ALL over - going to the dermatologist for a scan is nothing like going to the OBGYN when it comes to modesty...) and she saw a spot on the back of my left leg that she wanted to remove. i'd never even noticed it before. it was flat, mostly round,not THAT big (though it was a little bigger than the surrounding freckles) and it wasn't really multicolored. i'd say, in all, that it didn't meet the criteria preached by most doctors for "moles to worry about."
anyway, within 2 weeks i had a call that it was melanoma. sadly, i didn't even know what melanoma was. the nurse said "it is the bad kind" and i actually had to look it up online to understand what she meant. melanoma is the fastest kind of skin cancer and can quickly spread to your lymph nodes. naturally, i was concerned. especially since i was pregnant. all the "what ifs" were entering my mind.
on june 9th, 2008, a different doctor (the "chief" doctor there) cut a huge pocket out of my calf. it was about 4 inches long, 3 inches wide, and about 1 inch deep. i am not exaggerating. after it was stitched up, i could have easily sat a golf ball in it and it would have stayed right there. i had all sorts of reactions to the latex and adhesives in the bandages and that is another story in itself, but all in all it has healed up well now and you'd probably not even notice the scar. (it filled back in with fat within a year...)
the doctor got all the cancer during that one surgery so that is the good news in all of that. i was fortunate enough to catch it early enough before it spread far.
for the past 2 years i have been terrified of the sun and have suffered the consequences such as having low vit.D in my blood. this year, i've decided that that melanoma very likely came from my use of a tanning bed. given its location (on the back of my leg, right below my knee - where it would be pressed up next to a UV bulb in a death bed) and the fact i've NEVER been burnt there from the sun, i doubt i got it from just living a normal life and enjoying outside. so this year, i'm still using sunblock on my face, but i'm trying to not fear the sun. the real sun.
anyway, i hope by sharing this story with you that you understand how important it is to incorporate the dermatologist into your yearly checkups. i also hope you understand how important it is to not use tanning beds. maybe you don't use them, but maybe you know someone who does. or, maybe you have a child that wants to use them. they are horrible and using them will eventually catch up to you!
please call a dermatologist ASAP and have a body check! if you need a recommendation, i can tell you for certain that my doctor (a woman) has a good eye for bad spots!
tomorrow, i have my 4th *clean* body scan (well, i hope clean) after having my own melanoma removed. i just felt it appropriate to write this and share it with everyone. my intent is to urge each one of you to go to a dermatologist and have a full body scan. also, be sure to use sun BLOCK and to never use tanning beds. they are SERIOUSLY a death trap.
when i was growing up, my mom always put sunblock on us. she didn't allow us out during the peak hours of the day. she protected my skin. when i was 16, i was a lifeguard and usually sat underneath an umbrella (it was hot!).
when i was in college, in about april, i would start going to the tanning bed to get a "base tan" - i justified it as "it is safer than getting burned in the sun" because typically in the sun, i would literally go from white to red. i never burned in the tanning bed. i would buy the month unlimited packages and go for 2 minutes and gradually and slowly move up to the 20 minutes maximum allowed time. i rarely went every day. probably 3 or 4 times max in the spring. in the summer, i often went to the beach and roasted myself but i typically used a SPF 15 sunblock on my body and a SPF 30 on my face. i would tan with that, and i didn't burn often. i knew to take it slow.
i burned some in my life, but not that often. i have lots of freckles, and i tan somewhat.
when i was 31, that was probably the last time i ever used a tanning bed.
between having kendal and getting pregnant with holly, i had a mole on my abdomen that would sometimes get irritated and bleed (it was under my bra strap). i made an appointment to get it removed. i also had a spot on my chest that would scab over and not heal. my dad had basil cell carcinoma on his nose the winter prior and i was worried i had what he had. so, i made an appointment at a dermatologist near where i worked and went in and asked her about both spots. she removed both but was unconcerned with them. turns out, the one on my chest was precancer. she recommended i come back for a "full body scan." about 4 months later, i finally got an appointment for that scan, and at that point i was pregnant with holly. she looked me over (and i mean, ALL over - going to the dermatologist for a scan is nothing like going to the OBGYN when it comes to modesty...) and she saw a spot on the back of my left leg that she wanted to remove. i'd never even noticed it before. it was flat, mostly round,not THAT big (though it was a little bigger than the surrounding freckles) and it wasn't really multicolored. i'd say, in all, that it didn't meet the criteria preached by most doctors for "moles to worry about."
anyway, within 2 weeks i had a call that it was melanoma. sadly, i didn't even know what melanoma was. the nurse said "it is the bad kind" and i actually had to look it up online to understand what she meant. melanoma is the fastest kind of skin cancer and can quickly spread to your lymph nodes. naturally, i was concerned. especially since i was pregnant. all the "what ifs" were entering my mind.
on june 9th, 2008, a different doctor (the "chief" doctor there) cut a huge pocket out of my calf. it was about 4 inches long, 3 inches wide, and about 1 inch deep. i am not exaggerating. after it was stitched up, i could have easily sat a golf ball in it and it would have stayed right there. i had all sorts of reactions to the latex and adhesives in the bandages and that is another story in itself, but all in all it has healed up well now and you'd probably not even notice the scar. (it filled back in with fat within a year...)
the doctor got all the cancer during that one surgery so that is the good news in all of that. i was fortunate enough to catch it early enough before it spread far.
for the past 2 years i have been terrified of the sun and have suffered the consequences such as having low vit.D in my blood. this year, i've decided that that melanoma very likely came from my use of a tanning bed. given its location (on the back of my leg, right below my knee - where it would be pressed up next to a UV bulb in a death bed) and the fact i've NEVER been burnt there from the sun, i doubt i got it from just living a normal life and enjoying outside. so this year, i'm still using sunblock on my face, but i'm trying to not fear the sun. the real sun.
anyway, i hope by sharing this story with you that you understand how important it is to incorporate the dermatologist into your yearly checkups. i also hope you understand how important it is to not use tanning beds. maybe you don't use them, but maybe you know someone who does. or, maybe you have a child that wants to use them. they are horrible and using them will eventually catch up to you!
please call a dermatologist ASAP and have a body check! if you need a recommendation, i can tell you for certain that my doctor (a woman) has a good eye for bad spots!
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
tuesday rant
i get so annoyed at how people complain about "illegal aliens" because most people are specifically referring to our southern border: about people of hispanic descent.
you know, i've never been afraid of a hispanic person. most are very religious. most have large families. most know their grandparents, brothers, cousins, and get together on many occasions. most do not believe in terrorism. most hispanic people do not do drugs, "pack heat", and are honest, hard working people. they cook whole foods and live off the land. it is that type of people that i'd prefer to surround myself with.
for example, this time of year the migrant laborers are here and hard at work. most large farms have housing, and that housing, be it a trailer or a run-down house, is usually FULL of hispanic men. there are several of these houses on my way to mom and dad's house. when i drive by and one of them are outside, they are always friendly and wave. i wonder where they all sleep and how they stay cool at night. most of the houses are in the sun and the windows are open so i doubt they have A/C. every night about 6 or 7, you see them all outside grilling dinner. later in the season about 8am, you'll see them hanging up their rain gear after coming out of the tobacco fields (which means they were up and working when the sun came up). every sunday about 7:30 pm, you'll see each one of them on a cell phone, i assume calling back home to their wives or families.
can you imagine leaving your families every spring to fall - let's say 8 months a year, every year - for pennies on the dollar? and if they are illegal, do you know what they have to do to get here? walking for days with little to no water in the hottest conditions you can imagine, having to watch each step for fear of a snake of scorpion (since most of their walking is done at night - when snakes are most active).
it is those types of "illegal immigrants" that i do not worry about. i am fine with their "illegal-ness", i appreciate their hard work and their dedication to the american dream. i wish it were easier for them to get here legally and to bring their family and their christian values to the US.
there are a few folks here in the US that could use a little influence from the immigrants. like some of the lazy hypocrites that think they need to go home. (ha, i'd like to see THEM pick cucumbers come july and august! or, lay sod on a late august afternoon when it is 100 degrees outside in 100% humidity!!! i won't even get into picking tobacco while WEARING raingear... not that i've done it, but i have had to walk across bean fields while wearing rainsuits back when i worked with DOT in the summer just to stay dry. it was miserable. i was nearing a heat stroke at 7am in the morning.)
ps this is not a blog about taxes or healthcare or any of that stuff. this is just a blog about the kind, hispanic population that is here in america right now. they are not evil, they are not bad: they are human. if you click on this link you can read about how a non-profit group called humane borders helps reduce the number of people dying in the desert by simply doing the golden rule (do unto others as you would have done unto you matthew 7:12)!!! if we lived over/down there, we would totally volunteer with that group.
gotta love spin...
http://www.wral.com/business/story/7533363/
ok, did you read the article? did you see any odd statements?
seriously, first, i feel for the fishing industry down there. NC shrimp are good (and we always try to buy NC shrimp), but most of the time i know our shrimp come from the gulf. like in eastern NC, there are a log of folks that live off the water, and to know that their livelyhoods are going to be destroyed by this (for a while anyway) is just disheartening.
ok, so to the article: the price of bananas? so, they'll go from 50 cents to, what - like $1 a pound? guess i'll have to cut back - ha ha. (joking - if i could plant a banana grove i would. we eat probably 10 bananas a week in this house! and when i say "we" i mean kendal and holly.)
"The latest satellite image of the slick, taken Sunday night, indicates that it has actually shrunk since last week, but that only means some of the oil has gone underwater." so does that mean the oil is dissolving? how is the oil going underwater? is it like putting on its swimtrunks and swimming? whatever. oil doesn't SINK. oil floats. maybe they need to REWORD that statement.
"Chemical dispersants seemed to be helping to keep oil from floating to the surface..." oh, so they are adding chemicals to the gulf to make the oil heavy and sink. hum. crude oil + chemicals + bottom of ocean where it will degrade and contaminate for years and years = good??? seems that they are making a bad situation worse if you ask me. don't think i'll want to eat ANYTHING from the gulf for the rest of my LIFE (since it'll be degrading for the rest of my life, and probably hundreds of years to come...)
"In the Chandeleur Sound on Monday, about 40 miles northeast of Venice, La., thick, heavy oil formed long clumps that looked like raw sewage. Dying jellyfish could be seen in the water. A dolphin surfaced nearby but did not appear to be in distress." being as i never saw any scientist quoted, i'm guessing this is the journalists "professional" opinion. comparing "heavy oil" to "raw sewage" is a quite a comparison, don't you think? they aren't even close to being the same thing. dying jellyfish? how would he know? did he check their vitals? (isn't this their breeding season down there so wouldn't they be onshore?) i'm sure he'd mistake that for "dying" since he is probably uneducated with jellyfish lifecycles. i mean, come on, the dolphin wasn't in distress - why would the jellyfish be suffering??? i just wonder who was providing him with "professional opinions" with that statement.
"As for the petroleum industry, analyst Phil Flynn said he doesn't expect oil or gasoline prices at the pump to soar unless the shipping lanes are shut down for a long time. Gasoline inventories are at a 20-year high, he said, and oil supplies are probably much higher." one question: why haven't the BP prices gone through the roof (sarcasm)? i'm actually surprised that the gas companies haven't used this as an excuse to raise prices. well, they did go up about $0.10 last week around here, but as Nathaniel pointed out to me, summer is on the way. summer, of coarse, is a great reason to raise prices.
ok, did you read the article? did you see any odd statements?
seriously, first, i feel for the fishing industry down there. NC shrimp are good (and we always try to buy NC shrimp), but most of the time i know our shrimp come from the gulf. like in eastern NC, there are a log of folks that live off the water, and to know that their livelyhoods are going to be destroyed by this (for a while anyway) is just disheartening.
ok, so to the article: the price of bananas? so, they'll go from 50 cents to, what - like $1 a pound? guess i'll have to cut back - ha ha. (joking - if i could plant a banana grove i would. we eat probably 10 bananas a week in this house! and when i say "we" i mean kendal and holly.)
"The latest satellite image of the slick, taken Sunday night, indicates that it has actually shrunk since last week, but that only means some of the oil has gone underwater." so does that mean the oil is dissolving? how is the oil going underwater? is it like putting on its swimtrunks and swimming? whatever. oil doesn't SINK. oil floats. maybe they need to REWORD that statement.
"Chemical dispersants seemed to be helping to keep oil from floating to the surface..." oh, so they are adding chemicals to the gulf to make the oil heavy and sink. hum. crude oil + chemicals + bottom of ocean where it will degrade and contaminate for years and years = good??? seems that they are making a bad situation worse if you ask me. don't think i'll want to eat ANYTHING from the gulf for the rest of my LIFE (since it'll be degrading for the rest of my life, and probably hundreds of years to come...)
"In the Chandeleur Sound on Monday, about 40 miles northeast of Venice, La., thick, heavy oil formed long clumps that looked like raw sewage. Dying jellyfish could be seen in the water. A dolphin surfaced nearby but did not appear to be in distress." being as i never saw any scientist quoted, i'm guessing this is the journalists "professional" opinion. comparing "heavy oil" to "raw sewage" is a quite a comparison, don't you think? they aren't even close to being the same thing. dying jellyfish? how would he know? did he check their vitals? (isn't this their breeding season down there so wouldn't they be onshore?) i'm sure he'd mistake that for "dying" since he is probably uneducated with jellyfish lifecycles. i mean, come on, the dolphin wasn't in distress - why would the jellyfish be suffering??? i just wonder who was providing him with "professional opinions" with that statement.
"As for the petroleum industry, analyst Phil Flynn said he doesn't expect oil or gasoline prices at the pump to soar unless the shipping lanes are shut down for a long time. Gasoline inventories are at a 20-year high, he said, and oil supplies are probably much higher." one question: why haven't the BP prices gone through the roof (sarcasm)? i'm actually surprised that the gas companies haven't used this as an excuse to raise prices. well, they did go up about $0.10 last week around here, but as Nathaniel pointed out to me, summer is on the way. summer, of coarse, is a great reason to raise prices.
Monday, May 3, 2010
WHAT I FORGOT!!!!!
sorry emily. next time, it'll be the FIRST thing i pack.
Holly's First Camping Trip
we stayed busy picking off (lonestar) ticks and making food and setting up & breaking down campsites & handing our screamer (kendal). i know i had a hard time sleeping sat. night but it was because i kept "feeling" ticks. sunday we all (except nathaniel who was graciously cleaning the inside and outside of my car) had long long naps. i'm still tired today for some reason but the kids are rested now.
it was a great trip though, and i'm sad it took us a year to get it together! last year we tried it and got rained out.
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