Got some kinda bad news today

[azsnowman]

I've heard it over and over and over, "Use SUNSCREEN!" WELL.......I'm paying for my LACK there of. I've had this *spot* on my right temple for about a year, didn't give it much thought, I had it removed last month when I went in for my monthly meds refill AND the report can back positive, yes.....I've got skin cancer, NOT the bad kind, forgot what kind it is, the GOOD news however, they GOT it all when they cut it out.

Dennis

[sunny]

I've heard it over and over and over, "Use SUNSCREEN!" WELL.......I'm paying for my LACK there of. I've had this *spot* on my right temple for about a year, didn't give it much thought, I had it removed last month when I went in for my monthly meds refill AND the report can back positive, yes.....I've got skin cancer, NOT the bad kind, forgot what kind it is, the GOOD news however, they GOT it all when they cut it out.

Dennis

But everything will be okay, won't it?

[azsnowman]

Oh yeah.....it's the kind of cancer that doesn't spread, it's isolated, dang it, wish I could remember what kind of skin cancer it is, the sawbones said it's very common for people my age (45'ish) who DON'T wear sunscreen.

Dennis

[sunny]

Whew - thank goodness!

[GalvestonDuck]

Squamous cell carcinoma?

[azsnowman]

Whew - thank goodness!

YES...tell me, I've been SOOOOO stressed OUT this past week, my ulcer came back, so now I can relax and buy stock in CopperTone!

Dennis

[azsnowman]

Squamous cell carcinoma?

Sounds like it....I'll have to ask Michelle when she gets back, all I heard was the "c" word and my heart sank, I went DEAF, thinking ALL bad thoughts!

Dennis

[Dee Bee]

Thank God you had it checked and taken care of. Skin cancer is on the rise in the U.S., especially in states like AZ (and FL). The good news is that your cancer has been totally taken out. With so many 30+ sunscreens available now (and the fact that hats can really be fashion statements...) your future looks pretty positive, I'd think.

[Pburgh]

Thank God Dennis. With your line of work it's kinda tough to stay out of the sun. I know I've never been one to use suncreen either. I started this year.
((Hugs)) my friend
Dink

[streetsoldier]

Speaking of carcinomas, Coppertop has developed some ugly warts n his hands...first noted when he was in wrestling, then again in Tae Kwon Do (human contact?).

Anyone have any info about this?

[Stephanie]

Speaking of carcinomas, Coppertop has developed some ugly warts n his hands...first noted when he was in wrestling, then again in Tae Kwon Do (human contact?).

Anyone have any info about this?

Bill - check out Webmd.com. It's a great site that has all sorts of information on diseases, ilnesses, etc.

Dennis - I'm glad that they got the whole thing. Now that you're going to be outside even more....USE COPPERTONE!!!

[Windsong]

basil cell carcinoma? That's localized. It's Melonoma that is the one to worry about. Glad to hear they got it all. Now put on your lotion Dennis!

Denise

[azskyman]

Take care of it my friend. I have a checkup every so often by a skin specialist just to stay ahead of that danger...especially living in a place where the sun shines 317 days a year!

[Dee Bee]

Speaking of carcinomas, Coppertop has developed some ugly warts n his hands...first noted when he was in wrestling, then again in Tae Kwon Do (human contact?).

Anyone have any info about this?

Yes, I've heard that certain skin conditions are frequently spread through wrestling. Usual treatments are topical/possibly oral antibiotics or other meds. You really should have Coppertop check those warts out with a dermatologist before it gets out of hand -- oops, sorry -- unintentional bad pun.... But seriously, I know that skin problems can really play havoc with high school wrestling teams during season.

[Miss Mary]

Dennis - I have two good friends from HS, both had this type of skin cancer. Both fried themselves every summer from teens on thru, their 20s, 30s to get that perfect tan. Once it was discovered, their docs said - forget your days in the sun. They have to wear 45 sunblock, 24/7. Even in winter. And they're supposed to wear long sleeved blouses, pants in summer. We all got together once for lunch, after my own cancer. We ticked off one by one around the table, we all had something - pre-cancerous skin cancer, thyroid cancer and me, colon. The table grew very quiet for a while. We were all in our mid 40s then. A real wake up call.

Sounds as if you had your wake up call. Your job entails you must be outdoors - just wear sunblock and get Michelle to watch moles/spots you can't see well. I think you're supposed to be thoroughly checked once a year from now on, from your Dermatologist too.

Man, sorry to hear this but it sounds like you were a good patient - you went to the doctor!

Mary

[george_r_1961]

Speaking of carcinomas, Coppertop has developed some ugly warts n his hands...first noted when he was in wrestling, then again in Tae Kwon Do (human contact?).

Anyone have any info about this?

Bill warts are fairly common in teenagers and they are contagious as well. And yes I am sure him being involved in contact sports got him infected. For the most part warts are harmless; its best to just let them go away on their own. If he is bothered by them some topical OTC meds might help if the warts are isolated but if they are widespread they may not help much. These meds contain salicyclic acid, which can cause burning or scarring if used improperly. And the warts wont dissapear overnight either; it may take days or even weeks for the stubborn ones. As a last resort a visit to the doctor may be in order

[Miss Mary]

Bill, regarding warts....sorry missed that earlier post. My oldest daughter had them terribly for a few years. Went to a Dermatologist who burned them off. They use a Q tip dipped in the acid George mentioned, that burns the surface off. Stings like crazy. The nurse handed Nina a paper towel, dipped in iced water. That took the sting away. But each time she'd find another, and have to have it burned off, she knew it was going to hurt like crazy. The wart then turns dark and nasty looking, until it falls off (few weeks later). She wore bandages over them. But they just kept popping up. Finally, we began reading about duct tape, a new radical method to treat warts. I thought it would be bogus info but when I asked the Derm., he said by all means try it! He was starting to tell his repeat patients like Nina was, to at least try it. You scrub the area well, dry it. Apply a small, precut piece of duct tape onto the wart. Wait a day or two, and then rip the tape off, in one fell swoop. You're supposed to pull off the top of the wart by doing so. Probably stings a bit. You keep ripping new pieces off every day or so, buffing the wart down I think in between. Nina tried it but the tape kept falling off, b/c she had to wash her hands several times a day. And we bought the cool colors it comes in. Kids at school would ask - why all the tape? LOL It just became a big pain to keep this going. Then the Derm suggested a cream, available only Rx. That seemed to work for a while. And then, just out of the blue - all her warts went away. By this time the Derm was treating her for acne too so we see him every 3 months. Each time he asks if any more warts have popped up, he's not surprised at all to hear they're not. It's a virus that lies dormant for long periods of time. We're hoping they're long gone!

Hope that helps some! You can try OTC meds but we didn't see any lasting improvement with them.

Mary

[Persepone]

If you're going to go the OTC medicine route, use Duct Tape! For some reason, wrapping warts in Duct Tape makes them go away!

Much better than playing with the acid stuff... Also fairly quick.

Give it a try!

PS Doctors in some countries (e.g., NL) actually recommend this treatment. So someone with medical training can probably explain what chemical is in duct tape that makes it a good cure for warts....

[Miss Mary]

Right after we began trying the duct tape method, the war in Iraq started. And we were all instructed to create the safe room in our homes, buying plastic sheeting and duct tape if you'll recall. Stores ran out of duct tape. But in our home we were well stocked. I think we had the regular silver color but then Nina said if she was going to plaster duct tape all over her hands, she was going to use colors. I remember buyin yellow, blue and red. I sort of joked with the Derm. later for thinking of us, since we were now well stocked with duct tape. He joked if he needed some, he'd knock on our door.

I'll try to look for a link on how to offically use the duct tape Bill. It is worth a try.

Found this....
http://my.webmd.com/content/article/52/50085.htm

Mary

[alicia-w]

really glad they found it. my husband had basal cell removed from his neck and his temple. i had a couple on the back of my left hand. turns out that is one of the most exposed and least protected areas (driving and the sun seems to hit that area the most...)