› Forums › General Melanoma Community › How do you handle others in the sun?
- This topic has 21 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 11 years, 7 months ago by Dhoke3.
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- September 26, 2012 at 6:43 am
Hey all, I recently found out I had melanoma in situ. I was very lucky to see my dermatologist only a month after I noticed the spot and had it removed. I now know though about sun smarts. I dont go out in the sun with out sunscreen… hat… the usual… My question is that I get very frusturated when going to the beach with friends or hanging out with people who just want to "lay out" and "look healthy".
Hey all, I recently found out I had melanoma in situ. I was very lucky to see my dermatologist only a month after I noticed the spot and had it removed. I now know though about sun smarts. I dont go out in the sun with out sunscreen… hat… the usual… My question is that I get very frusturated when going to the beach with friends or hanging out with people who just want to "lay out" and "look healthy". I cried the day I realized I had no tan lines on my body because I was so happy, to me that was what it meant to be healthy, but other people have different points of view. How do you handle being in situations where other people are laying out in the sun and you are hanging out under your umbrella? I often will hear people saying things like "Oh why are you hiding under there! Come on out and get some color on your skin!" And I want to crawl even farther under that same umbrella. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thank you! 🙂
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- September 26, 2012 at 8:24 am
Sounds like a good chance to tell them about melanoma. I stress to peoplle that TOO MUCH of most things can be bad. This includes too much of the suns UVA/UVB rays. I am not against being in the sun. I am against getting sunburns and enough UVA/UVB rays to damage ones skin. Personally I don't worry about the sun for myself. I do worry about my wife and Grandchildren getting excess exposure. Sometimes I even will show pictures of what scars from melanoma operations do to some people. I even took pictures of our Eric Sizemore to my Congressional offices to show what melanoma can do on the outside and noted that while the actual internal tumors that kill many are not so visible when internal, they are as gross and much deadlier than the external ones. Eric had both and the internal ones killed him while the external ones upset some people to even know about them.
Enjoy your time at the beach and try to be somewhat gentle in educating others. Gentle, but firm as to what you have learned and experienced and how you want to survive to be with the ones you love. Approximately 1 person an hour is no longer with their loved ones due to Melanoma.
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- September 26, 2012 at 8:24 am
Sounds like a good chance to tell them about melanoma. I stress to peoplle that TOO MUCH of most things can be bad. This includes too much of the suns UVA/UVB rays. I am not against being in the sun. I am against getting sunburns and enough UVA/UVB rays to damage ones skin. Personally I don't worry about the sun for myself. I do worry about my wife and Grandchildren getting excess exposure. Sometimes I even will show pictures of what scars from melanoma operations do to some people. I even took pictures of our Eric Sizemore to my Congressional offices to show what melanoma can do on the outside and noted that while the actual internal tumors that kill many are not so visible when internal, they are as gross and much deadlier than the external ones. Eric had both and the internal ones killed him while the external ones upset some people to even know about them.
Enjoy your time at the beach and try to be somewhat gentle in educating others. Gentle, but firm as to what you have learned and experienced and how you want to survive to be with the ones you love. Approximately 1 person an hour is no longer with their loved ones due to Melanoma.
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- September 26, 2012 at 8:24 am
Sounds like a good chance to tell them about melanoma. I stress to peoplle that TOO MUCH of most things can be bad. This includes too much of the suns UVA/UVB rays. I am not against being in the sun. I am against getting sunburns and enough UVA/UVB rays to damage ones skin. Personally I don't worry about the sun for myself. I do worry about my wife and Grandchildren getting excess exposure. Sometimes I even will show pictures of what scars from melanoma operations do to some people. I even took pictures of our Eric Sizemore to my Congressional offices to show what melanoma can do on the outside and noted that while the actual internal tumors that kill many are not so visible when internal, they are as gross and much deadlier than the external ones. Eric had both and the internal ones killed him while the external ones upset some people to even know about them.
Enjoy your time at the beach and try to be somewhat gentle in educating others. Gentle, but firm as to what you have learned and experienced and how you want to survive to be with the ones you love. Approximately 1 person an hour is no longer with their loved ones due to Melanoma.
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- September 26, 2012 at 10:46 am
Hi!
I am back from my first sunny holiday just today.
I was in Spain for 9 days. it was sunny and warm ,but I used 50plus sunscreen and weared covers.
Sometimes I went t the sea to sweam without covers and hats ,but I don't think it can be dangerous .
People asked me why I hiding from the sun ,and I said to everyone sun damage the skin and cause a lot of wrinkles on the face :))))
I told one girl only about my melanoma and she said she fully understand me because her grandad died of this desease.
In the evening I did some spraytan and it looks ok so I was not pale.Good spraytan can do miracle and people though I get some suntan.
Now I see people who are spending days on the open sun ,they are dark brown with a lot of moles and I am scared . We should be carefull ,even we did not have melanoma – sun is dangerous
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- September 26, 2012 at 10:46 am
Hi!
I am back from my first sunny holiday just today.
I was in Spain for 9 days. it was sunny and warm ,but I used 50plus sunscreen and weared covers.
Sometimes I went t the sea to sweam without covers and hats ,but I don't think it can be dangerous .
People asked me why I hiding from the sun ,and I said to everyone sun damage the skin and cause a lot of wrinkles on the face :))))
I told one girl only about my melanoma and she said she fully understand me because her grandad died of this desease.
In the evening I did some spraytan and it looks ok so I was not pale.Good spraytan can do miracle and people though I get some suntan.
Now I see people who are spending days on the open sun ,they are dark brown with a lot of moles and I am scared . We should be carefull ,even we did not have melanoma – sun is dangerous
-
- September 26, 2012 at 10:46 am
Hi!
I am back from my first sunny holiday just today.
I was in Spain for 9 days. it was sunny and warm ,but I used 50plus sunscreen and weared covers.
Sometimes I went t the sea to sweam without covers and hats ,but I don't think it can be dangerous .
People asked me why I hiding from the sun ,and I said to everyone sun damage the skin and cause a lot of wrinkles on the face :))))
I told one girl only about my melanoma and she said she fully understand me because her grandad died of this desease.
In the evening I did some spraytan and it looks ok so I was not pale.Good spraytan can do miracle and people though I get some suntan.
Now I see people who are spending days on the open sun ,they are dark brown with a lot of moles and I am scared . We should be carefull ,even we did not have melanoma – sun is dangerous
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- September 26, 2012 at 11:02 am
Jerry's right. This is your chance to tell them about skin cancer. You've risen above the vanity point of trying to "look healthy" because you know that actually BEING healthy is much more important. If they insist on you joining them, just politely remind them, "No thank you. I have skin cancer. Remember?"
Coolibar makes some nice UPF 50+ swimsuits that protect you from the sun. You can get swim leggings and a long-sleeved swim shirt from them for the beach and they're actually not bad looking. Between that and a wide-brimmed had you may not need to spend as much time under an umbrella. Their web site is http://www.coolibar.com/. The advantage of wearing an outfit like that is that the sun protection stays on you and isn't going to wash off or sweat off.
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- September 26, 2012 at 11:02 am
Jerry's right. This is your chance to tell them about skin cancer. You've risen above the vanity point of trying to "look healthy" because you know that actually BEING healthy is much more important. If they insist on you joining them, just politely remind them, "No thank you. I have skin cancer. Remember?"
Coolibar makes some nice UPF 50+ swimsuits that protect you from the sun. You can get swim leggings and a long-sleeved swim shirt from them for the beach and they're actually not bad looking. Between that and a wide-brimmed had you may not need to spend as much time under an umbrella. Their web site is http://www.coolibar.com/. The advantage of wearing an outfit like that is that the sun protection stays on you and isn't going to wash off or sweat off.
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- September 26, 2012 at 11:02 am
Jerry's right. This is your chance to tell them about skin cancer. You've risen above the vanity point of trying to "look healthy" because you know that actually BEING healthy is much more important. If they insist on you joining them, just politely remind them, "No thank you. I have skin cancer. Remember?"
Coolibar makes some nice UPF 50+ swimsuits that protect you from the sun. You can get swim leggings and a long-sleeved swim shirt from them for the beach and they're actually not bad looking. Between that and a wide-brimmed had you may not need to spend as much time under an umbrella. Their web site is http://www.coolibar.com/. The advantage of wearing an outfit like that is that the sun protection stays on you and isn't going to wash off or sweat off.
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- September 27, 2012 at 12:09 am
It is your chance and therfore your choice. It is not a requirement that you explain your health choices to others; sure if they ask why, tell them. otherwise just skip it.
It is really easy to get on a revival circuit of melanoma awareness, but all in all, take comfort in your own decisions and know you are doing what is best for you and forget saving the world.
Your chances, your choices. Their chances, their choices.
It is a fair deal, so just leave at that without explanation.
Cheers,
Charlie S
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- September 27, 2012 at 12:09 am
It is your chance and therfore your choice. It is not a requirement that you explain your health choices to others; sure if they ask why, tell them. otherwise just skip it.
It is really easy to get on a revival circuit of melanoma awareness, but all in all, take comfort in your own decisions and know you are doing what is best for you and forget saving the world.
Your chances, your choices. Their chances, their choices.
It is a fair deal, so just leave at that without explanation.
Cheers,
Charlie S
-
- September 27, 2012 at 12:09 am
It is your chance and therfore your choice. It is not a requirement that you explain your health choices to others; sure if they ask why, tell them. otherwise just skip it.
It is really easy to get on a revival circuit of melanoma awareness, but all in all, take comfort in your own decisions and know you are doing what is best for you and forget saving the world.
Your chances, your choices. Their chances, their choices.
It is a fair deal, so just leave at that without explanation.
Cheers,
Charlie S
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- September 27, 2012 at 11:17 pm
If someone specifically asks you why you're more concerned about sun exposure, tell them in a matter-of-fact manner. If they don't ask, don't try to force the information down their throats. Most people are aware that excessive sun exposure isn't healthy and your story isn't going to change anything for them. Heck, my husband was diagnosed Stage 3B two months ago, and it's not doing anything to change his habits. He's a farmer, he's outside a great deal, and he's not going to don garb that covers him from head to toe. He just isn't. He isn't going to remember to put on sunscreen daily and I'm not going to harp on it daily. Same is true of my teen boys. I can only stand on my soapbox so long, kwim? Do the best you can and don't get worked up about what everyone else is doing. It'll only cause you more stress.
Best,
Colleen
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- September 27, 2012 at 11:17 pm
If someone specifically asks you why you're more concerned about sun exposure, tell them in a matter-of-fact manner. If they don't ask, don't try to force the information down their throats. Most people are aware that excessive sun exposure isn't healthy and your story isn't going to change anything for them. Heck, my husband was diagnosed Stage 3B two months ago, and it's not doing anything to change his habits. He's a farmer, he's outside a great deal, and he's not going to don garb that covers him from head to toe. He just isn't. He isn't going to remember to put on sunscreen daily and I'm not going to harp on it daily. Same is true of my teen boys. I can only stand on my soapbox so long, kwim? Do the best you can and don't get worked up about what everyone else is doing. It'll only cause you more stress.
Best,
Colleen
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- September 27, 2012 at 11:17 pm
If someone specifically asks you why you're more concerned about sun exposure, tell them in a matter-of-fact manner. If they don't ask, don't try to force the information down their throats. Most people are aware that excessive sun exposure isn't healthy and your story isn't going to change anything for them. Heck, my husband was diagnosed Stage 3B two months ago, and it's not doing anything to change his habits. He's a farmer, he's outside a great deal, and he's not going to don garb that covers him from head to toe. He just isn't. He isn't going to remember to put on sunscreen daily and I'm not going to harp on it daily. Same is true of my teen boys. I can only stand on my soapbox so long, kwim? Do the best you can and don't get worked up about what everyone else is doing. It'll only cause you more stress.
Best,
Colleen
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