Fearing the Outdoors

There is absolutely no reason to stop doing outdoor activities you enjoy! I have not stopped hiking, kayaking, and playing on the beach. I also have not had a sunburn in many years. UPF clothing, sun screen, and living life is what we need to do. The cat is out of the bag so to speak when it comes to melanoma. We've already gotten the beast. Exposure to the sun is not going to cause a recurrence of the melanoma we've already encountered, doesn't work that way. It may cause a second primary, but if you're following sun safety then I wouldn't be afraid of a second primary either. 

Live your life, stop letting melanoma win!

"The horse is out of the barn" to quote a recent post.

I really loved reading that response.

I've had a similar falling out with my formerly active life after S3.

It doesn't feel like fear. Introspective things became more important – perhaps out of fear, but perhaps cause things just changed. Give yourself that permission to not be obsessively active.

If you are having solar paralysis, maybe reset your body clock by getting re-aquainted with the time before sunrise which can set the stage for getting out at dawn which is always nice and inspiring. Hit the pool when it opens and the lanes are open.

Adopt an adult dog and walk the dog is what I did. We both like it. Not for everyone.

Hi Olytown, like Jen & Threefifty just said, its not as bad as you “think” it to be (if youde “try” to believe us) chances of any “re-occurences” are slim unless you sign up for the tv show Naked & Afraid or lay out constantly day after day..Be diligent & wear your sun creams & proper atire for what activities your gunna put yourself in, DONT STOP LIVING! like Thteefifty recommended, “Adopt” (no puppy mills’s please) a dog if yer able to, that should break your phobia!..We Wish you the best, & you check in more here at MRF ok?, youve been here for about 6 months & this is your FIRST post! Dont be selfish! If you got stuff on your mind unload it on us, we know a thing or too & were not that different…

I am stage 3A and like you, for the first year or so I was vampire-like in my avoidance of the sun.  With the proper precautions, you should be able to live actively with your melanoma.  Suncreen, hat, and every 6 month body scans by your derm should be sufficient as a precaution.  MY diagnosis was in 2011 and just two years ago I started golfing again….and love it!  I cut my grass, work around the house and have chosen to LIVE with melanoma instead of it dictating to me what I will or won't do.  Between staying indoors and lying out in the sun, there's a great deal of space to enjoy the active lifestyle you clearly love.  Good luck!

Stan

I absolutely feel you. I even wrote a blog post about it. https://wp.me/p75LG7-6Z

It took time and mindful awareness of this fear for me to eventually get over it. You have to SEE the fear to face it. Now I even try and make it a routine to get a little Vitamin D everyday and don’t think twice about it!

And always remember to be kind to yourself. Sometimes we beat ourselves up, which really just makes things worse during the healing process. We know not to poke at physical wounds, so try not to poke the mental ones either.

Lauren

Olytown, I'm so glad you posted. I was diagnosed last year and have been similarly phobic. Still taking my long walks, but also wearing a flying saucer hat (no propeller, dang). I'm also grateful for everyone's response here. Currently, I walk mostly in the morning. Hope we both regain some of our former ease. Aiming for prudent fearlessness.

Lisa

I'm a Stage IIIB survivor who's coming up on 8 years. Those early years were very stressful for me, so I feel your pain. When I hit the two year mark I felt as if a weight was lifted from my shoulders. The next weight that fell off my shoulders happened at the five year mark. Only two more years to go until the 10 year mark! There is light at the end of the tunnel. 

You've been told this already and I am going to repeat it: don't let melanoma rule your life. There's too much out there to do and enjoy. I am one who likes the beach and we still go on beach vacations. I still swim in the ocean. But, my beach attire has changed and you know what? I like what I wear now, which is a long sleeved UPF shirt and capris. If the sun is really hot, I wear a swim hat. I only put sunscreen on exposed parts such as my face, neck, ears, and calves. For me this has been liberating because I don't have to worry whether I was able to completey cover a larger area such as my back or legs because the UPF clothing takes care of it. And, we also stay in the shade. 

I only wear UPF clothing when I know I am going to be outdoors all day on a sunny day. But I've never found it necessary for running daily errands and quick in/outs to and from the car. If I go to an outdoor event or a longer shopping trip, I wear a brimmed hat and a UPF shirt and stay in shady areas as much as possible. 

The UPF clothing works very well and with companies like Land's End and Coolibar having nice offerings there's no reason to not go outside and feel protected (not to mention fashionable LOL). It sounds like you have a plan in place by covering up and keeping out of the mid-day sun. There's no reason to not be active outdoors. just because "the rules" have changed a bit. You adjust and work with the new rules. There is life after a melanoma diagnosis.  

 

This post made me smile. I was diagnosed in July 2018 and I am nuts. I wear this enormous hat, clothing head to toe in 90 degree weather, run from my car to my office to avoid any sunlight. I hope to recover some sense of freedom eventually, but definitely not there yet.  When I really think about it, my actions make little sense since it is a bit late for this level of precaution….but logic does not stop me!