Today is Melanoma Monday.
Melanoma Monday was founded by the American Academy of Dermatology in the early 1980s to encourage sun safety leading up to the summer months.
I’m thankful that there is not much to share when it comes to my experience with melanoma.
If you’re new to my melanoma story, here’s a quick recap:
And an embarrassingly crappy, old YouTube video:
I am now 12 years post-diagnosis and I’ve very happy to report that I’ve had no reoccurrence. I’ve maintained 6-month checkups for most of that time and recently my dermatologist and I decided we could knock those back to every 8 months.
I’ve had a few biopsies here and there – some in more painful spots than others – but my philosophy is that I’d rather have an uncomfortable biopsy that comes back negative than miss something that becomes a bigger problem.
As always, I encourage you to do what you can to prevent skin cancer, learn to do self-exams, and see your dermatologist regularly.
Early detection made a HUGE difference in the outcome of my melanoma. So I will be a broken record the rest of my life shouting that message from the rooftops!!!!
When was your last visit to the dermatologist for a skin cancer screening?
