Mum’s ‘pimple’ led to terrifying ordeal

 https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/mums-pimple-led-to-terrifying-ordeal/news-story/6e0e98f5c5aa0c220b4c57c985d36ab9?utm_campaign=EditorialSB&utm_source=News.com.au&utm_medium=Facebook&utm_content=SocialBakers&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR6vqyGClXkY8r_nx3ouuE3ziB26WoUQH-Ha0OABD7_qJ66YW3Kypy-3vWWezg_aem_0PqsvoGNO-atBq26v0581w#

Skin cancer is not something to take lightly, Australia is the skin cancer capital of the world. The sun is much brighter and more intense in Australia than it is in the northern hemisphere and depending on the altitude where you live you are more exposed to the uv rays the higher the altitude and like the article says clouds make no difference. 

Not all cancers look like cancer as the article states, my husband’s melanoma looked like eczema at first but it got bigger and bigger and more aggressive looking, resulting in a deep surgery scar 9cms x 7cms, that has to be covered when outside. I intuitively knew that it was melanoma but both my husband and the doctor said it was a type of eczema. I made my husband go back and get it rechecked and see a specialist. This took two years to get this diagnosis as my husband kept letting it go,  he had a skin puncture biopsy that tested positive to stage 1 melanoma in situ. Surgery was booked in quickly up in Sydney because we couldn’t get into a surgeon in Canberra. 

Both my husband and I avoid the sun because we are both fair skinned and neither of us like the heat. We both grew up in Sydney in the 70’s and 80’s. Schools did not have the sun smart rules back in our day either. So it was walking in the full sun to and from school daily and no shelter from the sun in the school playgrounds back then. Not just that, my husband is like many people who drive with their arm on the windows of their cars while driving. All that sun exposure adds up over a lifetime. I had a little mole burned off my nose last year because I was worried it might be something nasty, then one burned off my right forearm a few months ago because it was itchy. I do cover up in the sun and wear a sun hat, sunglasses  and sunscreen, but that doesn’t guarantee that one won’t get skin cancer. 

Avoid being in the sun between 11.00 am to 4.00pm as much as possible because that is when the sun is at its most powerful. Wear sleeves like the cooling sleeves sold on eBay when your out in the full sun, there are some really cool looking ones out now. I bought a few different ones with patterns and some plain ones for being out walking. If ladies don’t want “hat hair” use an umbrella or parasol, they come in trendy patterns now too. 

The scars from surgery aren’t sexy and they are very sensitive to sunlight. You don’t generally just get melanoma once, it does come back and that’s why they do a mapping of your lymph nodes and put a little tattoo on your body where there was a lymph node of concern. Then the follow up examinations to make sure that there isn’t anything else growing. Don’t be fooled into thinking it only happens to older people, it happens at any age. 

Be safe and be informed, and don’t be fobbed off by a doctor that is instantly dismissive, as a google search will clearly show the numbers of people that have been misdiagnosed and had cancer after doctors have said they are too young or they are paranoid. Be responsible for your own health and wellbeing and be informed in serious health matters such as this, there is no second chance. 

NINE HONEY: Skin Cancer, “I made my children take a good look “

https://honey.nine.com.au/latest/deborah-knight-skin-cancer-damage-warning/2eb73388-fe19-4396-9865-076ba0bb5cf8 

Yup, it’s like hitting your head against a brick wall trying to educate people on skin cancer in Australia and always has been. Women have skin like leather by the time they are in their 30’s if the refuse to protect their skin. I have known many women and girls from school onwards that have skin like leather.

They look much older than me, I couldn’t tolerate the hot sun growing up and also fair skinned being Scottish. So I didn’t go out in the sun other than walking to and from school etc. However I didn’t use sun block, I wish that I did. My parents certainly never encouraged me to use sun block daily. They avoided the sun too and only used sun block on the odd occasion. 

I am now getting my skin checked regularly and so far I am ok, unlike my poor husband who has had surgery to remove a melanoma in his arm 7cm by 9 cm. He was never in the sun either, only driving with his arm at the car window like many people. 

You can buy sleeves to put on your arms to protect them from the sun, and some cover the back of your hands. Have a look on eBay and buy a few pairs. I am actually surprised that more people are not wearing them. You can buy really cool looking parasols or umbrellas with a silver lining to protect yourself from the hot sun also. There are companies that even make band parasols or umbrellas for young people including heavy metal styles. If you don’t want hat hair it’s an elegant solution. I have a few parasols because I just love them. 

Skin cancer education is vital no matter how old you are or where you live, but Australia is the worst place in the world for skin cancer. The sun is very intense and bright constantly even on cloudy days you are at risk so don’t be fooled by the clouds. Stay safe, hydrated and sun smart. 

Amelia waited more than a year to see her doctor. By then she was dying

 https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/health-wellbeing/amelia-waited-more-than-a-year-to-see-her-doctor-by-then-she-was-dying-c-7451012

Yet another poor innocent girl’s life gone due to carelessness of doctors. She was young, so she was fobbed off. I wonder what would happen if it was an older person that would not be disregarded so easily by doctors. I hope her doctor lives with the guilt for the rest of his or her life. Amelia’s life matters! Lumps under the skin should not be ignored especially if they don’t go away.   Don’t guess, investigate.

That doctor let her down badly and should not be let off the hook for this. A full review of all the medical personnel that she had contacted should be done. The ambulance officer that told her she was wasting her time should bear responsibility for this too. This should not be let go of.

Britain has a poor medical system for choice of general practitioners since the 80's, your are assigned a doctor under the NHS. Unlike Australia, when we can just pick a doctor of our own choice and change if we are not happy with that doctor. Mind you in Canberra it’s getting very difficult to get a doctor due to the shortage and there are many doctors that have closed their books due to them having way too many patients. I am just shocked at how this poor young woman was treated, and wonder how many more people are suffering because of a poor medical system. The buck stops with the government because they created the mess in the first place.

Covid has been used as an excuse to prevent people getting life saving medical treatment too. This is unnecessary and an abuse of human rights. How long are people willing to take this on top of an antiquated health  system?  

Generally speaking we all have the right to second opinions, and should not be discouraged or dissuaded from seeking other medical advice or help. I know many people that have been let down by medical mishandling or negligence. One friend died due to the specialist being unable to see her brain tumor but her GP saw it in her scans, help came too late for her.

My husband was erroneously told his skin condition which continued to grow was eczema; it was melanoma!  I pushed him to see our doctor repeatedly because I intuitively knew it was dangerous. I was ignored, he said it's nothing; as time went on it got much bigger. The doctor both times said it looked like eczema. I told my husband to ask to see a skin specialist. this involved a trip to Sydney because he couldn't get a specialist in Canberra and time is very important to get the cancer under control. That skin specialist did a biopsy which showed melanoma 7cm x 9 cm. But hey what does a dumb clairvoyant know!! So we had to drive 4 hours to inner Sydney for surgery and follow up care in Sydney after that for months. But at least he got treated eventually. 

Let me say that assumption is the mother of all screw ups. Don't assume anything, when in doubt check it out. Most doctors are very good, but sometimes people can be very unlucky and end up with a dud.That dud has human lives in their hands and an ego. That dud is protected by the system more often than not. So how often do the victims get compensated and acknowledged for being right to be concerned about their health?

Major study finds link between eating fish and getting skin cancer

https://www.9news.com.au/health/melanoma-fish-eating-contaminants-seafood-skin-cancer-risk-health-news/a71dbb04-2008-4976-a2ed-3f505a3d9408 

Sounds a bit fishy to me 🤣🤣 like the article says it’s inconclusive because it doesn’t cover relevant things such as skin type, hair colour, history of sunburn. Sunbathing habits I would say is the main problem, many Australian people will literally cook themselves in the sun from a young age. Outdoor occupations also put a person in a high risk category. Just think of children playing out in the sun every day, in the playground at school and walking to and from school five days a week for years being exposed to the sun. That is a big factor and the damage is done when we are young.

I know people in Australia tend to ignore the health warnings and since the 1980’s we have had the media advertising skin protection to no avail. It seems to be a cultural thing and uncool to wear a wide brimmed hat and sleeves in the summer. But in Australia you can still get sunburn and damage to your skin in winter. So I don’t think we need to worry about eating fish and getting melanoma when we have the hot sun , pollution in the sea though is surely a high risk of any cancer from toxic chemicals ingested by the fish and then humans. The blame for the of course is with corporations and they should be made clean up the oceans of the world, but that is unlikely to happen. The planet is full of toxins from corporations and one day nature may fight back. 

9NEWS: Melanoma to cost Australia $8.7 billion without 'critical action', report says

 https://www.9news.com.au/national/new-report-calls-for-urgent-government-action-to-tackle-the-growing-impact-of-melanoma/a1060b3e-c468-45fb-8cbb-666630c42a1d

People just won’t listen and melanoma  or skin cancer starts when we are young by not protecting our skin. Start protecting your skin in childhood and educate your children. People think they look good with a tan, but they don’t stop to think of the damage done, and having skin like leather is never a good look, it ages your face also. 

The driving sun tan is a big issue too; people that have their elbow on the open windows of their car or truck are a high risk group. This happened to my husband and what he thought was eczema was melanoma and I kept telling him it’s not eczema, my intuition was right. Our doctor at the time also thought it was eczema at first but as the “eczema “ got worse he gave my husband a referral to a skin specialist. Over the space of two or three years the melanoma got bigger and bigger; it also had a rough texture and obviously no amount of eczema cream would stop the skin cancer from getting bigger and bigger.

At first glance the surgeon said it looked like eczema but she knew from his medical records and skin puncture test that it was melanoma. The doctor said she had never seen such an unusual looking case of melanoma. On the way into surgery the surgeon asked the surgical team if they knew what was wrong with my husband’s arm. They all thought it was eczema until she told them it was actually melanoma stage one in situ.

My husband ended up with a 9 cm X 7 cm scar that looks like a shark bit him as it is a deep indent. My husband like  myself has always avoided the sun, we are winter people so not fans of summer. So he actually got this from driving 

People must take responsibility for their actions and not put their health in danger and then expect the doctors to heal them. Sometimes it’s too late for medical help. Melanoma can b anywhere on your body and the skin specialist will examine your entire body fro melanoma even between your fingers and toes as it can be there too. A lymph map of your body is also done before and after to check that there isn’t any more melanoma. There is a follow up lymph mapping done at twelve months after surgery and depending on your health you may require follow up visits to the specialist.

Get your skin checked regularly and hopefully if there is anything nasty growing, you are on top of it and can lessen the damage. Cover your skin in the sun and wear a sun hat or do as many ladies are doing again carry a parasol or an umbrella that has that silver anti UV lining. They are in supermarkets these days and any shop that sells umbrellas. Keep a fold up one in your car too in case you are broken down and waiting for assistance. I always keep a fold up UV umbrella in the car for that reason having had the need after an accident and a breakdown on an interstate highway. There is nothing worse in a hot day when disaster strikes and you need shelter from the scorching sun. Oh and don’t make the mistake of thinking the winter sun in Australia is safe, it’s not. 

ABC News: Melanoma not from the sun, mum’s warning to parents , doctors as 8 year olds star battles cancer

 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-06/hayden-price-rare-melanoma-not-related-to-sun-exposure/100038970

Poor little boy, what a horrible thing to happen, and surprisingly not from sun. I noticed this little boy has red hair, and I am assuming that the Celtic race are one of the higher risk people for melanoma.

 I hope this little boy will be clear of melanoma or any other nasties from now on. Check ups go on for a couple of  years after having melanoma and a lymph node scan to keep an eye on the risk of melanoma returning. 

News reporter Peter Overton opens up about Melanoma

  https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8932199/News-reporter-Peter-Overton-opens-recent-skin-cancer-scare-having-surgery-melanoma.html

This is one scary situation, please read this article and notice the description at the bottom of the article, on the description variations. Not all melanoma look the same. My husband’s melanoma looked scaly and red. He was very lucky because his was stage one in situ but it left a massive and deep 9 cm by 7 cm scar on his upper arm, which must be kept covered so the sun doesn’t get to it. His scar turns a bluey purple colour when the weather is cool.  It is not a scar that can be easily hidden.

Please keep that in mind when you are out in the sun. All the years you spend at the beach or lying in the hot sun put you at risk. My husband never did any of that. He worked in an office and it is assumed that he got his melanoma from driving every day and the sun coming in the car window.

Both hubby and I are winter people and avoid the heat, we always have. But that is no guarantee that you won’t get melanoma. Even walking to  and from school every day as a child can put you at risk. It is generally young skin that gets damaged. But shows up later in life. My father had a tiny melanoma cut out this year too. That was traced back to his military service days in the Far East in the 50’s, and he is in his eighties now. He never lay in the hot sun either. 

On eBay you can buy “cool sleeves/ UV sleeves” to protect your arms when driving, playing sport, or just for out doors. They are quite cheap and worth investing in to avoid surgery in the years to come, and that is if the cancer is picked up in time. Time is the major factor,  the longer you ignore any skin issues the worse it becomes. So the longer you wait, the risk of death increases, don’t take that risk.

I have known women over the years that had skin like leather from constantly being out in the sun, sure they looked good as teenagers, but your skin under the hot sun dries and ages you. The skin becomes tough and that causes more work to be necessary to be done by the surgeon. Removing the melanoma also requires healthy skin surrounding the cancer to be cut to minimise the cancer cells attacking the healthy skin surrounding the melanoma.  Then the follow up treatment that follows for a few years depending on how severe the condition is. You also have to have lymph node mapping done and then followed up from time to time. Now thanks to Covid, the wait to see a doctor may be longer than it normally is and that risks a deterioration of the condition. 

Heed the warnings and help educate your family especially the young ones. The more aware they are the better the chance of avoiding melanoma. Hats, parasols and long sleeves are a must in the heat, but can be uncomfortable. But isn’t it better to be safe than sorry?