Public Service Announcement
Wednesday, September 27, 2006 at 01:56pmEmilie (she of Emilie&Chuck, as well as co-owner of the blog DIWhy) sent out an email today. I thought it was important enough to share with all of you. Please take some time to read it.
Jo Ann H, a girl that I knew peripherally, recently died of Melanoma at the age of 32. It’s weird when the death of someone you barely know hits you so hard, but this one did. She was my age. She was from the midwest. She lived in Kirkwood. She had a small business (that is how I knew her, from sales events we did together). She was married 3 months ago. The parallels really shook me up, and I couldn’t stop thinking, this could just have easily been me. Or someone I love. And with Melanoma statistics what they are, it is going to happen to me or someone that I love.
I met her mom last week and found out the details of her diagnosis. I want to share them with you, because her mother shared with me the little known fact that apparently Melanoma is the #1 killer of women our age. And the worst part of that is, with early detection and proper diagnosis, it’s completely curable. I could lecture about the prevention part, but we all know how important sunscreen is, and I shudder in horror at the many times in my early years that I spent slathered in SPF 4, baking in the sun with some of you. So I’m hardly in a position to preach.
Jo Ann had a small, wart-like growth that formed on her ear. Besides some itching, it didn’t really bother her. I don’t know how much time passed, but she kind of ignored it, until her sister urged her to go to the doctor. They removed the wart and biopsied it, and it appeared to be benign, so she thought she was in the clear. Apparently, a biopsy of what they removed wasn’t thorough enough. They should have also biopsied the area on her body where the growth was. Needless to say, less than a year later, she was diagnosed with Melanoma. She fought it for 4 years, and it cruelly spread to many other parts of her body. She endured multiple operations and chemo, and the details of her fight are too awful for words.
At my hair salon, they are trying to create awareness about Melanoma, and train their hair stylists to pay attention to the head and neck area of their clients, since they spend a lot more time looking at your head than doctors do. I think this is fantastic, and everyone should spread the word about this to their hair stylists. There is a foundation in Atlanta that provides training materials, and I can find out more about this if anyone wants more info.
Prevention is all about awareness and education. So please spread the word to your loved ones to keep an eye on their bodies, especially if you are fair-skinned. Get anything unusual checked out immediately and thoroughly. You have to be your own medical advocate. Wear sunscreen and stay out of tanning beds!!!! (Sorry, I decided to preach). And of course, melanoma isn’t reserved for women, so be sure to inform the men in your life as well.
Here is to a healthy and happy life.
Love,
Emilie
ali on Wednesday, September 27, 2006 at 2:18 pm
Yeah - I work for a melanoma surgeon. It is an incredibly sad disease. To be honest, before I started working with him, I always scoffed at skin cancer. Skin cancer? But I look and feel better tanned! And I have dark hair and dark eyes – so I’m not at risk, right? B/c I tan, not burn, right? Nope…once my awareness kicked in (from working here), I made an appointment and had several cancerous spots on my shoulders and back removed. I’ve been back twice – one of the spots keeps coming back…
All in all - it’s not that big of a deal if you catch it. Derms really know what to look for, so find a good one in your area that’s covered by your insurance. If you don’t have insurance, it’s a worthwhile appointment/payment to make.
Also, if you’re worried about the pain factor in the removal – no big deal and I’m a huge baby when it comes to pain! I’ve had one spot removed twice (as it came back rather quickly. Stupid cancer!) and I really didn’t have a problem making that second appointment. If you’re worried about time, even when I’ve had them removed, I’m in an out of the room in about 15-20 minutes.
Good post freakgirl and good tip Em! I’m absolutely fascinated that someone thought of hairstylists to keep an eye out. It’s totally true that they spend a lot of time looking at our head/neck! So rare to find such a simple, reasonable suggestion in this crazy world of ours!
Michael on Wednesday, September 27, 2006 at 2:21 pm
That hair salon is progressive. What a fantastic idea!
One other thing to consider is that melanomas can occur in areas that never see the sun, so check yourself (or have someone check you) all over.
Chuck on Wednesday, September 27, 2006 at 3:02 pm
Fielding offers Michael?
Michael on Wednesday, September 27, 2006 at 3:23 pm
Well, it’s not like they’re beating down my door, Chuck, so can you blame a brother for putting a sign out? PS It’s every homo’s dream to marry a dermatologist. Ask anyone.
But seriously, this is a great idea. It’s Haircut Day (yay!) on Friday and I’m gonna bring it up with the bois at the salon.
Early detection!
Chuck on Wednesday, September 27, 2006 at 3:38 pm
Marry a dermatologist! HAHAHAH!!!
Jane on Wednesday, September 27, 2006 at 3:55 pm
I tell you what, in all seriousness my dermatologist is a fucking hottie.
Greater Czarina on Wednesday, September 27, 2006 at 4:26 pm
I live in terror of skin cancer, because I’m so whitey-white-white. Thanks for posting this, Emilie and Freakgirl…a good reminder to all.
Max on Wednesday, September 27, 2006 at 5:36 pm
Definitely something to think about–I got scolded by my stylist just yesterday about my not putting sunscreen on my near-bald scalp regularly, and I come from a family of “um, but we look better TAN” scoffers at anything SPF-related. Part 2: My mom is now finishing up her first round of chemo and radiation from the skin (and beyond) cancer that got diagnosed in June of this year. A connection? You make the call…
(And my mom only found out about it because she had a “little bump” on her neck that wouldn’t stop itching, just like the young woman discussed in the email.)
freakgirl on Wednesday, September 27, 2006 at 5:57 pm
Max, please send our best wishes to your mom. Scary. Heather “Dooce” Armstrong has been going through something similar, too (link). All of a sudden, it’s everywhere.
Of course, now I am totally frightened. I hereby declare tomorrow, Thursday, as “Get Naked For Freakgirl Day.” Strip down and find a friend to inspect your bod.
Emilie on Wednesday, September 27, 2006 at 8:30 pm
The hairstylist training came about from a couple in Atlanta who own a hair salon and lost their 36 year old daughter to Melanoma.
Had I not just found out about Jo Ann, I might not have even thought twice about it, as I always thought melanoma happened to retired farmers or people who had years of sun worshipping under their belt. Within the same week, I discovered that 2 girls in my age group had died of this entirely treatable disease so it really made me think. And what prompted me to go to my hair salon was the horrible fucking picture of me in the newspaper!!
Jen in OH! on Wednesday, September 27, 2006 at 9:15 pm
Awareness and prevention are so important.
My mom was diagnosed with skin cancer when she was only 28, and while it wasn’t melanoma, she didn’t take good care of herself and by the time she died at age 50 she had 3 different kinds of cancers, one that had metastasized. (Astonishingly, it wasn’t the cancer that killed her, but that was a blessing because the cancer would’ve been a much harder process of death than the quick and unexpected way in which she did check out.)
I spent nearly my entire childhood as a fair-skinned redhead running wild on Miami Beach so I live in fear. I go for regular check-ups, though, and I demand biopsies of anything weird and make a huge pain in the ass out of myself at the derm, because Emilie is exactly right that you have to be your own medical advocate. Preach on, sister!