Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Go ahead, brag about your tan lines....

and other such nonsense.  But don't expect any sympathy from me when you find yourself agonizing over a biopsy that could have been prevented with the use of sunscreen and a little common sense!

YO PEOPLE!  SKIN CANCER IS PREVENTABLE!  but first you have to acknowledge the possibility that you could actually get cancer! 

Oh, I'm sorry...that's right, you couldn't possibly get cancer from a TANNING BED now could you?  Never mind from just getting sun in the same spots season after season, like I did.  

Have I ever used a tanning bed? NO

Did I get the occasional tan and sometime even sunburn on my back and shoulders on many a long run or ride or a day at the beach?  YES

Was I diagnosed with Melanoma (SKIN CANCER) in 2005 in a spot that always saw a lot of natural sun during the race season? YES

Don't fool yourself.  If it can happen to me, it can happen to you!

SOME QUICK AND EASY FACTS from SKINCANCER.ORG:

Melanoma is the third most common cancer in women aged 20-39.

People who use tanning beds are 2.5 times more likely to develop squamous cell carcinoma and 1.5 times more likely to develop basal cell carcinoma.

Occasional use of tanning beds almost triples the chances of developing melanoma.

2 comments:

Miss Melanoma said...

Preach it, sister! And, while you're at it, have everyone go sign my petition to have warning labels put on tanning beds at:
www.missmelanoma.com (click the words SIGN OUR PETITION).

Love your message- keep putting it out there!
-MM

Bolder said...

holly, we've launched our movement for greater cancer awareness in blogland at write2fight.com

i'd love to have you tell your story -- we need to hear from the survivors!



Blogger Holly said...

Bold, I'm in and your graphic designer if you want my services - Cancer is a b*stard I am well aquainted with and so far, I have been one of the lucky ones to survive it.

Logos, letterhead, webart, whatever you need - I am at your disposal....I'll email you to see if you have any logo ideas/blog name in mind