There's a reason I love big hats!

Growing up in Florida, sunburn was a fact of life.  Sure, we wore sunscreen when we went to the beach.  But when you're sort of red-headed like me, and you pray that one day all of your freckles will run together so that you have a tan... there's only so much you can do to prevent it.

{ See?  I've always worn sunscreen! }

Fast forward to this past June.  Spencer and I had just gotten home from our honeymoon and I went for my annual appointment at the dermatologist.  I've been going regularly for several years now and have had more biopsies than I can count.  Everything always came back benign.

But this time, a seemingly harmless little freckle turned out to be melanoma.  Early stage, but not as early as it could have been.  I had surgery three days later and at this point I'm pretty much back to normal.  { Except that now I go to the dermatologist every three months.  She and I have a love / hate relationship. }

I went this morning for a secondary excision of irregular cells from my back.  It's just part of being vigilant in keeping the cancer at bay.  I'll be doing this sort of thing for the rest of my life.  You see, early stage melanoma is very treatable with nearly a 100% survival rate.  But left to grow... this stuff is seriously bad news.  It's like an iceberg.  Small on the surface, but much larger underneath. { My little smaller-than-a-pencil-eraser freckle left a five-inch scar! }

In fact, melanoma:

• Is the fastest growing cancer in the United States and worldwide.
• Is the deadliest form of skin cancer.
• Is the primary cause of cancer death in women ages 25-29.
• Can strike men and women of all ages and all races, even people with naturally dark skin.

{ Love this red hat.  And the Dawgs.
Even when they lose. }

I started going to the dermatologist four years ago because my friend Lisa told me about her brush with melanoma and it made me make an appointment.  If I had waited until I had something scary-looking to make one... well, I'm glad I didn't.  My mom's been in for a check now, as well as my sister, my hairdresser and who knows who else.  So like Lisa, I tell my story in hopes that someone else will catch theirs early, too.

For more information about melanoma and other forms of skin cancer, check out The Skin Cancer Foundation.  And if you see me at the beach, please don't make fun of my enormous hat. : )