Few months in…..
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Hi all….I was diagnosed with a stage 1a melanoma (0.7 mm) in January and felt like my world had caved in and this was it. Thankfully I have a great dermatologist who did a great job with the WLE and the advice she gave me was not to let this diagnosis rule my life – going out in the sun was fine and going to the pool was fine (with obvious precautions).
Just had my first 3 month check which was all clear (really 6 months since surgery as I had to have 2 ops on a benign atypical mole). The next week we went on a family vacation to Grand Teton and Yellowstone which invlved hiking 6-10 miles per day.
Now when we are out hiking I wear Colombia gear (SPF 50) wiode brimmed hats, long shorts and long pants.
The vacation was marvelous and Idid not worry about being outside and still went swimming in lakes, etc – just not in midday sun.
Guess, even though this is early days, that my dermatologist was right. Don’t let it rule your life and enjoy life. Many, many other things could get you!
My 10 year old does not like my new look (!) but from this point forward better safe than sorry!
Thanks for sharing your story with us. Sometimes it is a matter of putting one foot in front of the other and knowing that each moment in life matters. Dwelling in the past or future just doesn’t help us live our lives to the fullest. Your vacation sounds wonderful as I love hiking too. What we usually do is time our outdoors exposure to the least exposure times, early morning and late afternoon. Then you don’t have to cover up so much. And we all do need our vitamin D! Enjoy the summer! Wonderful to hear that you have moved forward. You’ll find a few bumps in the road but don’t let them get you down, we all have scares now and then. An odd looking mole, an ache we’ve never had before…all these things suddenly become more important. The key will be to deal with it and move forward, just as you are doing now. So great to see! Congratulations on the attitude. Mary
Stage 3
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