skin cancer please protect yourselves

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Aloha everyone, I recently found out I have skin cancer melanoma, the dermatologist took a biopsy..the thickness is 1.2mm if anyone is familiar with the charts. Next week I am scheduled for a PET and then the following week the surgeon will do a wider extraction of the site and probably remove the sentinel lymph node.

He believes we caught it early. It started out looking like a larger freckle, same color as my other ones. I am fair skin red hair, and spend time in the sun although now I am limiting it to early morning and evening. I wear sunscreen but don't often reapply when I'm in the water. The freckle was asymmetrical with no defined boundaries, had a small nodule that was clear, the freckle was light brown, and occasionally it itched. I had a hunch it was melanoma.

One nurse to another to please wear your sunscreen even if you have darker skin. And take care of yourselves. We spend so much time caring for others but please take care of yourselves too. Anything suspicious looking, go get it looked at. Ladies stay on top of your paps and mams, guys do you 'stuff' too :)

If anyone works at Kaiser maunalua the surgery will be there. I'd love to meet!

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Specializes in LTC & Med-Surg, L&D, Pre-Op Clinic.

WOW, what a good reminder! Sometimes we forget to take care of ourselves... hope everything turns out well for you!

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